AKRON, Ohio -- A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Kent State University from charging a conservative student group an estimated $1,800 security fee to bring controversial alumna Kaitlin Bennett back to campus to speak.

Judge John Adams said at a hearing he was “gravely concerned” that charging the fees would impinge on the First Amendment rights of students and Bennett, known as the Kent State Gun Girl. The event, called “Let’s Talk Gun Rights," will be hosted by Liberty Hangout and is planned for Monday, Nov. 19, at Kiva Auditorium in the university student center.

“There should have been more communication,” Adams said. “We can’t allow protestors to shift the (financial) burden to the speaker and her organization.”

The university claims it has a policy requiring security fees for student-sponsored events held on campus. But Adams found that the policy as written could inadvertently infringe on Bennett and students' First Amendment rights by allowing her controversial history on the campus to affect whether she’s able to share her viewpoints.

If the Kent State student chapter of Liberty Hangout had to pay the fees, they wouldn’t be able to hold the event, an attorney for Liberty Hangout said in the hearing.

Bennett, who gained social media fame after posting a graduation photo on Kent State’s campus with an AR-10 slung across her back, held an open-carry walk in September that drew hundreds of protestors to campus, leading to stand-offs with police and four arrests.

Katlin Bennett, now known as the "Kent State gun girl," posed with an AR-10 in her graduation pictures. (Kaitlin Bennett, Twitter)

The walk was not sponsored by Liberty Hangout. It cost Kent State $65,000 in security costs, officials said.

The university paid those costs, but has a policy of charging student groups for security at sponsored events. The school argued its $1,800 fee would cover only the security for Bennett and Kiva Auditorium; Liberty Hangout would not be responsible for costs or damages caused by protestors outside the venue.

Adams said the policy was too broadly written and didn’t determine what would happen if protestors got inside the auditorium. The judge was openly frustrated with the lack of communication between Kent State and Liberty Hangout, asking if the group was involved in security discussions at all.

Adams wants more information about how the university calculated the security cost charge. There is a five-person team who determines the level of security for sponsored events, according to court documents.

Kent State’s lawyers said their numbers were based on data filed by chapter President Michael Heil and he had met with someone on staff about the event, but the group was not involved in coming up with security protocol and costs.

“Sometimes some of (Kent State’s) policies have too many grey areas," Heil said. “(This isn’t) just for our club, it’s for any club on campus.”

Heil, pleased with the judge’s decision, expects about a hundred people will attend the Nov. 19 event. The talk will include a question-and-answer portion which he hopes will clear up some of Liberty Hangout and Bennett’s positions on the Second Amendment and what they want to happen at Kent State. The open carry walk in September was to advocate for student concealed carry on campus.

Though that protest made an impact, the message may have gotten lost, Heil said.

Adams said it seemed like the university was not making a diligent effort to make sure Bennett could voice her views on campus without being shouted down. He said the threat of violence or protestors should not be the responsibility of Bennett or Liberty Hangout.

The judge granted a “temporary restraining order" on the fees. A full hearing will take place Dec. 13.

Kent State will provide the same security without cost for the organization’s Nov. 19 event, and the university will withhold sending an invoice pending the outcome of the December hearing, Kent State spokesman Eric Mansfield wrote an email.

This is a developing story and will be updated with more information.