LARAMIE – On Friday, the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees voted against the concealed carry in certain areas of the campus with a 6-5 vote. WyoFile reports the decision is likely to set up future confrontation with a legislature which increasingly pushes to ease gun restrictions. 

According to the report, the vote was strongly opposed by students, staff, faculty and other community members citing concerns over safety, gun violence, declining enrollment, campus culture and mental health concerns. 

WyoFile reports trustees Brad Bonner, Macey Moore, Michelle Sullivan, Laura Schmid-Pizzato and Carol Linton voted against the policy while trustees Brad LaCroix, John McKinley, David True, Jim Mathis and chairman Kermit Brown voted in favor. 

“’A fundamental belief I’ve had ever since I got involved in education, is that guns do not belong in schools, period,’” trustee David Fall told the board, WyoFile reported. 

“This is unlikely the end of the discussion about guns at the state’s sole public four-year university campus, Brown suggested, pointing to the legislature’s upcoming 2025 session,” WyoFile said. 

“I don’t want to front-run the legislature either, but the handwriting is on the wall,” Brown said in the WyoFile report as he encouraged board members to engage with lawmakers in person during the session. 

“’That goes not only for those that appeared here in person, but all those on campus that have, that are railing about this,’” Brown added. “’The time for railing to each other is over. It’s time to rail to your legislators.”’

The possibility of forthcoming legislation was not a persuasive argument, WyoFile reports, at least for one trustee. 

“’This seems like a giant disruption to our mission, and I feel like we’re being pushed into this to appease something that might be coming and might be even worse,’” trustee Moore explained. “’And I just can’t do that.’”

According to WyoFile, the policy started to take shape in August, following the request of Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, when the university sought input on possible changes to its firearm regulations.