NASHVILLE - A UT official is asking whether a Knoxville legislator's higher education legislation may have been spurred by the lawmaker's ejection from a university football game.
Rep. Stacey Campfield has introduced a bill that could restrict the university's authority to impose rules regarding college athletes and guns.
Hank Dye, vice president for public and government relations at the University of Tennessee, said Rep. Campfield has at least five bills that alarm university officials.
PDF: Misconduct involving weapons
"I don't know his motivation in all of the bills he's suddenly coming up with," Mr. Dye said. "I don't know if it has anything to do with him being escorted out of Neyland Stadium. ... I don't know if it doesn't. But for some reason, he seems to be looking everywhere he can to find a bill to agitate the University of Tennessee."
According to Knoxville News Sentinel accounts, Rep. Campfield got into a dispute with police while wearing a full-head Mexican wrestler's mask on Oct. 31 and was escorted from the stadium. Officials say the public was warned before and during the game that no Halloween masks were allowed.
Rep. Campfield, R-Knoxville, scoffed at Mr. Dye's suggestion.
"I've carried the same legislation for years," he said.
Rep. Campfield's bill says that public universities may not prohibit or penalize lawful students and student athlete gun owners from possessing guns off school property.
While acknowledging the guns-and-athletes issue is new, Rep. Campfield said it came about after UT Athletic Director Mike Hamilton in January announced a zero-tolerance policy on athletes and weapons. Current law already bans students and employees from having guns on a higher education campus.
Mr. Hamilton issued the policy following two incidents involving weapons and UT players.
"I wasn't the one who brought up the issue, he (Hamilton) was," said Rep. Campfield, a gun-rights advocate. "He (Dye) doesn't need to look at me."
Rep. Campfield said UT officials "want the power to take away a constitutional right of someone on their own property. What's next? Take away your right to vote?"
Mr. Dye said Mr. Hamilton originally "overstated himself." School policy now states student athletes cannot use, possess or carry weapons during a university-sponsored activity or while traveling to or from or participating in an off-campus university activity.
"We believe his amendment would interfere with our ability to do that," Mr. Dye said. "The present law does not. We don't see the need for this change."
Rep. Campfield said UT officials "are trying to back away a little bit, but they still have that right. My bill hopefully would stop them from going down the road when they start doing that."