A Maryland college student was recently denied permission to start a conservative club on her campus.
Moriah DeMartino, an incoming freshman at Hagerstown Community College (HCC), approached school administrators earlier this month about starting a Turning Point USA club, according to Campus Reform. HCC political science professor Eric Schwartz suggested that she join the political science club instead.
The school’s club and student organization advisor Heather Barnhart told Campus Reform that the school does not “start new clubs that duplicate the purpose and mission of existing clubs.”
Barnhart also allegedly told DeMartino that she could start a Republican club, as long as a Democrat club was started at the same time.
“I am upset that I am being told that I can’t start a club on a public college campus,” DeMartino told Campus Reform. “I understand the desire for the college to want to remain non-partisan. However, Turning Point USA is a non-partisan organization.”
Turning Point USA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a presence on over 1,000 college campuses nationwide. According to the website, the organization’s mission is to “identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government.”
h/t Campus Reform
