Update - March 16, 2016 at 5:46 p.m.
Cuesta College now has the authority to ban a former student who is facing charges for threatening a local elementary school.
18-year-old Bret Landen is no longer enrolled in classes at the community college, but until Wednesday it was unclear whether he was permitted to attend.
San Luis Obispo County's Superior Court said Wednesday that a court order specifying Landen is prohibited from being within 100 yards of a school does include institutions of higher learning, like Cuesta.
Landen is accused of threatening Atascadero's San Gabriel School last September with a chemical attack.
Cuesta's Police Chief Joseph Arteaga said Wednesday that the clarification will help his officers enforce the safety and security of the campus community.
Update - March 14, 2016:
The man accused of threatening an Atascadero elementary school in the fall is no longer attending a local college.
Cuesta College released a statement today saying Bret Stephen Landen is no longer enrolled in classes, but the college is still seeking legal clarification about whether Landen could attend.
According to his bail conditions, Landen is stay away from "any school" with the exception of one county-run school.
A hearing to clarify what "school" means will proceed Wednesday as planned.
Original story:
A local college is seeking legal clarification surrounding the status of one its students. Bret Stephen Landen, the man accused of threatening an Atascadero elementary school in September, is currently attending Cuesta College.
Landen is under court order to stay away from "any school" with the exception of one county-run school. The college has requested the court clarify what "school" means.
Dr. Gil Stork is the President of Cuesta College and said they want to enforce the order, if it applies. In a statement released Thursday, Cuesta College acknowledged safety concerns, but said unless the judge rules the otherwise, the school will honor Landen's legal right to attend Cuesta.
"It's really designed to be open to anyone who is seeking to improve their [life]," said Stork, "That's the spirit of what the community college system in California has become."
He said students with criminal pasts who abide by their provisions and the college's code of conduct have every right to attend.
The judge who gave the Landen his bail conditions is expected to rule on the issue Wednesday.
