By Dan Zimmerman via The Truth About Guns
“State law allows Floridians with concealed-weapons permits to keep firearms locked in their cars at work, but Orlando’s big theme parks have claimed they don’t have to comply,” orlandosentinel.comreports. Florida’s theme parks have ginned up a variety of questionable theories to justify declaring even their parking lots as 2A-free zones. That’s how Dean Kumanchik found himself out of a job after a gun was stolen from his parked car at Universal Orlando in December. That’s also why Kumanchik filed suit against Universal for the dismissal. What makes Gunshine State theme parks so special? Under an imaginative interpretation . . .
Universal cites an exemption for school property as a justification for its ban. Orange County Public Schools runs an alternative program called the Universal Education Center on the property.
It’s the same kind of interpretive gymnastics other venues — some publicly owned – have tried to usein order to avoid compliance with local laws. Wally World, for instance, took a slightly different tack.
Walt Disney World has cited an exemption for property owned by an employer that has a permit for explosives such as fireworks. Both Disney and Universal prohibit visitors from having guns in their theme parks.
Anything is in bounds when the goal is denying people their right to keep and bear arms. Right? But Universal’s legal eagles apparently aren’t so sure that the shaky underpinnings for the parking lot ban would hold up in a jury trial. Kumanchik’s lawyer has announced that the ride technician has gotten his job back.
“It was a very good resolution for our client, and Universal took him back to work,” attorney Richard Celler said. …
Celler said he could not discuss any financial terms of the settlement reached with Universal. Celler said he does not think the theme park resort has changed its policies.
Asked whether Kumanchik is still bringing his gun to work, Celler said, “I didn’t ask and I don’t want to know.”
