by Gun rights organization Florida Carry filed suit against Eastern Florida State College on Monday, February 3rd, to force them to comply with state law regarding defensive firearms and weapons storage. State law allows firearms to be stored in locked vehicles parked on the campuses of Florida’s public universities, colleges, and community colleges.
On Friday, the college issued a revised policy and will work with Florida Carry to craft lawful policies. Eastern Florida State College is located in Cocoa, Florida and was formerly Brevard Community College. They changed their name in 2013 when they began offering 4-year bachelor’s degrees.
Palm Bay FL – On Monday Florida Carry, Inc. filed a lawsuit against Eastern Florida State College seeking to protect the rights of students, faculty, and the public from the college’s illegal regulations prohibiting defensive firearms and weapons stored in private vehicles. Today Eastern Florida State published a revised policy that brings them in to compliance with state defensive firearms and weapons laws. We are pleased by the college’s response to the case thus far and greatly appreciate their willingness to work with Florida Carry to craft lawful firearms and weapons policies. We hope to reach a final settlement of the case soon.
In December Florida Carry won a similar case against the University of North Florida (UNF). In Florida Carry v. UNF the First District Court of Appeal ruled that “The legislature’s primacy in firearms regulation derives directly from the Florida Constitution… Indeed, the legislature has reserved for itself the whole field of firearms regulation in section 790.33(1)…” No public college or university has any authority to prevent students and the public from having a functional firearm in places that are constitutionally protected or permitted under state law.
Florida law provides for strict penalties against public entities and individuals who violate the rights of gun and defensive weapon owners. Any public entity which attempts to restrict the statutory and fundamental right to keep and bear arms in Florida is subject to enforcement actions by organizations such as Florida Carry.