In a complete reversal of its position, a community college in Pennsylvania has approved the registration of a student group advocating personal protection, called Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

According to The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a nonprofit educational foundation that works on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at colleges and universities, the case involved student Christine Brashier.

Brashier had sought help from the organization after officials at the Community College of Allegheny County first banned her from trying to organize a chapter and threatened her with disciplinary action then reaffirmed that activity would not be permitted on campus.

The school initially had told Brashier her pamphlets about plans for a student organization were "solicitation," and if she continued to talk about the issue it could be considered "academic misconduct."

Brashier's pamphlets in April 2009, advocated organization of a chapter of SCCC at the school. Her pamphlets stated the group "supports the legalization of concealed carry by licensed individuals on college campuses." She personally distributed copies of the pamphlets, which identified her as a "Campus Leader" of the effort to start the chapter.

Brashier then was summoned to a meeting with college administrators who told her passing out non-commercial information was prohibited.

"Furthermore, they insisted that the college pre-approve any pamphlets, that pamphlets like hers would not be approved and that Brashier destroy all copies of her pamphlet," FIRE reported. "At one point during the meeting, Dean Yvonne Burns reportedly said, 'You may want to discuss this topic but the college does not, and you cannot make us.'"

School spokesman David Hoovler told WND at the time the dispute was mischaracterized by FIRE. He said school officials had approached the student to encourage her to follow standard procedures for launching a student group.

But now, FIRE spokesman Robert Shibley said the case was being closed because of the approval by Allegheny of the local chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

"FIRE will continue to monitor the situation, of course, to ensure that the group continues to be treated fairly and that CCAC has wholly abandoned its attempts at censorship," his announcement said.

He continued, "Those who follow FIRE know that we don't have a position on concealed carry of firearms on campus, just as we don't have a position on abortion, affirmative action, or any number of hot-button political issues. We do, however, strongly believe that our nation's campuses are not only an important place for debate on these topics to take place, but one of the most important places for this sort of debate."

"If guns are to be carried on campus, or alternatively banned from campus, it stands to reason that one would want to consult the students about it, as concerns for their safety form the foundation for both sides of the argument," FIRE said.

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