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Scenario: A robotics competition at the Dallas Convention Center (city-owned, no problems with carry there), featuring high school teams from throughout N. Texas. The competition is hosted by a non-profit organization based out of state and not affiliated with any educational institution. Individual teams might or might not be "sponsored" by a school, but the event itself is not "school-sponsored" directly.

Question: Carry or no carry? Does the mere presence of school-age children (the ones most in need of our protection, but I digress) define an organized event as "school-sponsored"?

I am not a lawyer...but

I'd say carry away. The "mere presence of school children" is no more an issue than if that same school has a field trip to the movies while you're there...

If the event is not school-sponsored, put it on, cover it up, and forget about it.

cbunt1 wrote:I am not a lawyer...but

I'd say carry away. The "mere presence of school children" is no more an issue than if that same school has a field trip to the movies while you're there...

If the event is not school-sponsored, put it on, cover it up, and forget about it.

I want to agree but I think that since they are featuring High School teams that it could cause a problem.

IANAL not am I an expert in this it is just my $0.02

is it only high school teams there?
Are they representatives of their school, or are they only school age kids?

Does this qualify as an "athletic event" for nerds?

I kid; I kid. My own son was involved in Destination Imagination back in California. Of course in California, carrying anything anywhere is cause for having your birthday canceled.

kahrfreak wrote:The competition is hosted by a non-profit organization based out of state and not affiliated with any educational institution.

I wouldn't let it stop me but I'm not offering to bail you out or pay your legal fees.

any grounds or building on which an activity sponsored by a school or educational institution is being conducted

Teamless wrote:is it only high school teams there?
Are they representatives of their school, or are they only school age kids?

Yes, yes and yes.

kahrfreak wrote:The competition is hosted by a non-profit organization based out of state and not affiliated with any educational institution.

Given that the law says the event must be school sponsored but does not mention school participation, I would say that this sentence answers your question.

Though I did like the athletic event for nerds question also.

The Annoyed Man wrote:Does this qualify as an "athletic event" for nerds?

Don't ever make fun of nerds.
They have very good memories.
One day they might be your boss!

As stated by Charles before

If it's not held on school owned property, it doesn't matter.

Carry away.

I think you have to consider PC 46.035(b)(2):

(2) on the premises where a high school, collegiate, or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking place, unless the license holder is a participant in the event and a handgun is used in the event;

Regardless of sponsorship, this could be considered an interscholastic event because it is a competition among school teams.

Masterofnone,

You have a very good point that I missed. The next obvious question is if it is only school teams or if a private organization (say a Boy Scout troop) could enter a team. I am not sure if that or the sponsorship would change the definition of an interscholastic event. Is it interscholastic if there are some of the teams sponsored by a school and some by community organizations or just if all teams are school teams?

This could be a much grayer area than I had thought. I would probably advise against carrying inside the event until someone made some of these areas more clear.

MasterOfNone wrote:I think you have to consider PC 46.035(b)(2):

(2) on the premises where a high school, collegiate, or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking place, unless the license holder is a participant in the event and a handgun is used in the event;

Regardless of sponsorship, this could be considered an interscholastic event because it is a competition among school teams.

You know, I've always read "interscholastic event" as meaning UIL. A gray area indeed...I wil have to think hard about this one.

It seems to me that just because the teams are made up of kids from schools doesn't mean it is a UIL event. They are just organized that way and even if the school pushes it or a school employee coaches and helps it is still not UIL. My example would be 4H. It is pushed by the school because much of what 4H teaches is in line with state requirements and the schools know it improves overall performance in school.

I agree that it should be legal to carry there as I see no gray area since the schools really have no control and it isn't in the premises of a school. My opinion and I may have carried in similar situations.

shootthesheet wrote:It seems to me that just because the teams are made up of kids from schools doesn't mean it is a UIL event.

Is the term "interscholastic" defined somewhere in statute to mean an UIL event?