Why ECU Police are Ignoring One Professor's Second Amendment Plea

WITN

Last week, East Carolina University Professor Tracy Tuten sent a letter to ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton saying she would be carrying a gun for self-defense purposes. Tuten made the decision to carry after being stalked by a student for more than a year.

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“Even though I was stalked for more than a year by a student, I have respected the university guidelines for bearing arms,” Tuten wrote in her letter to Staton. “But bearing arms is my God-given right according to the constitution.”

The proclamation came after the ECU band took a knee during the National Anthem. Because the band’s First Amendment right was protected, Tuten said she believed her Second Amendment right should be respected.

“If the university is going to allow people to break rules in the name of constitutional rights, all rights should be supported,” Tuten said. “This is where I come in…My argument is that the university should support all rights.”

Seems fair enough, right? Apparently not…

“While I can appreciate Dr. Tuten’s intent to bring attention to constitutional discussions, carrying a handgun on campus property in a manner in which she described is currently prohibited by state law,” ECU’s Interim Police Chief Jason Sugg said.“Based on the most recent information given to us, we are hopeful that Dr. Tuten has reconsidered her intended action.”

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Once Tuten was notified by ECU police about the legal issues surrounding her decision, the professor has decided not to carry a firearm on the college campus. Instead, she has opted to lobby representatives about the importance of concealed carry on college campuses in North Carolina.

You’re fighting the good fight, Professor Tuten – we wish you luck!

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