Tarrant County College Bans Symbolic 'Empty Holster' Protest

Case Materials

"Episode 116: Adam Kissel on NRA News," June 16, 2008
"Episode 115: FIRE's Case at Tarrant County College," June 9, 2008
"Tarrant County College Bans Symbolic ‘Empty Holster' Protest; Banishes Students with Dissenting Opinions to Small Free Speech Zone," FIRE Press Release, May 22, 2008: In a dramatic blow to freedom of expression, Tarrant County College (TCC) has prohibited its students from wearing empty gun holsters to protest policies that forbid students with concealed carry licenses from carrying concealed handguns on campus. A TCC administrator told interested students that they could not wear the holsters and could only conduct a protest in the school's tiny and restrictive free speech zone. TCC student and protest organizer Brett Poulos has turned to FIRE for help.
"Response from TCC Vice Chancellor for Administration Erma J. Hadley to FIRE, May 20, 2008," May 20, 2008
"FIRE's Letter to Tarrant County College South Campus President Ernest L. Thomas, April 24, 2008," April 24, 2008
"E-mail from TCC Vice President for Student Development Juan Garcia to TCC Student Brett Poulos, April 10, 2008," April 10, 2008
"E-mail from TCC Student Brett Poulos to TCC South Campus President Ernest L. Thomas," March 28, 2008

"Controversy continues to surround guns on campus," Joe Murray, The Bulletin, May 27, 2008
"Student criticizes TCC for banning empty gun holster," John Austin, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 23, 2008
"Student says college violated rights by banning protest," Angela K. Brown, Houston Chronicle, May 23, 2008