Iowa State Student Sues City of Ames: Seeks to Legally Carry a Firearm on CyRide Buses
In Ames, Story County, Iowa, Iowa State University junior Natalie Gibson filed a lawsuit in Story County court on October 13 against the City of Ames, seeking to be allowed to legally carry a firearm while riding CyRide buses; the case was reported on October 21. Gibson, an animal science major, holds a valid Iowa permit to carry a firearm. She claims that although she has obeyed the rules, CyRide's ban on firearms, in place since 2011, illegally restricts her rights. CyRide is operated jointly by the City of Ames and Iowa State University, with most routes traveling along public streets through the campus, where university policy prohibits firearms. Her attorney, Alan Ostergen, said that although university policy prevents carrying on campus, nothing in the law allows the university to prevent anyone from lawfully carrying a firearm while traveling in a vehicle passing through campus, and that policies like the one enforced by Ames do not increase public safety, since the only people who will obey such a policy are those least likely to use a firearm illegally. The petition asks the court to declare the city's policy illegal and enjoin its enforcement, and asks the city to pay a statutory penalty of up to $25,000. The suit also notes that the Iowa Firearms Coalition contacted the city in October 2025 to put it on notice that the ban violated state law. The City of Ames said it does not comment on pending litigation and will respond through court filings.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Wikimedia Commons（Chelmonkey 摄影，CC BY-SA 4.0）；图中为爱荷华州立大学钟楼。
