The student government at Texas State University voted Monday night in favor of a resolution banning conservative group Turning Point USA from its campus.
Despite its passage, the student government has no authority to ban any student group from campus, according to the university.
The resolution, which is titled “The Faculty and Student Safety Resolution of 2019,” says the group has a “consistent history of creating hostile work and learning environments through a myriad of intimidation tactics aimed against students and faculty.”
During Monday’s meeting, a number of students stood to speak either in favor and against the resolution, which had been introduced by a handful of student government representatives. The president of Turning Point USA’s campus chapter criticized the resolution during the meeting and posted a video of a number of students yelling profanities at her as she exited the meeting.
“If the left wants an example of what it looks like to be threatening and intimidating students, they should look in a mirror at #txst. This is what awaited me when I left the Student Government meeting last night. This is the modern left,” she tweeted.
If the left wants an example of what it looks like to be threatening and intimidating students, they should look in a mirror at #txst.
This is what awaited me when I left the Student Government meeting last night. This is the modern left. pic.twitter.com/jMFPFEUrQ2
— Stormi Rodriguez (@stormirdgz) April 9, 2019
Despite the resolution’s passage, the school put out a statement Monday night saying it wouldn’t affect TPUSA’s standing on campus.
“Student Government does not have the authority to independently bar a recognized student organization. The organization named in the resolution voted on during the regular April 8 Student Government meeting is not currently under disciplinary sanction,” the statement reads. “Following University policy, the organization will not be barred from Texas State campuses. Texas State supports the constitutional rights of all of our students, faculty, staff and visitors.”
Turning Point USA was founded by Charlie Kirk in 2012. One of its highest profile members, Candace Owens, testified before Congress on Tuesday in a hearing about hate crimes.
After recent backlash against conservative groups on campus, President Trump vowed at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference to try and help protect the First Amendment on college campuses. Trump recently signed an order requiring colleges and universities to confirm to 12 different federal agencies that they were following the First Amendment.
