U. drops its lawsuit over campus gun ban

The University of Utah officially dropped a federal lawsuit to retain its campus gun ban Wednesday after almost six years.

U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball granted the case dismissal, a motion brought by both the U. and defendant Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.

The suit, filed in federal court in 2001, sought approval of a campus-wide gun ban, but university leaders have dropped the case as part of a deal with legislators this session that resulted in a modified version of the ban.

The new law, which was signed by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. on Monday, allows students to request not to live with a concealed weapons permit holder.

That law is much different than school leaders' original hopes of getting a complete gun ban on certain areas of campus including sports venues, dormitories, offices and classrooms.

The Utah Supreme Court struck down the U.'s gun ban in September, saying the university had no authority to make laws contrary to state statute. That ruling, however, did not void the school's previous federal claims that the school could make rules to protect academic freedom on campus.