After an initial denial, a Turning Point USA chapter was granted registered student organization status during an emergency Associated Students of Fort Lewis College board meeting Friday night on campus.
Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization that promotes conservative politics on high school and college campuses, was founded in 2012 by political activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed Sept. 10 on the Utah Valley University campus.
During a contentious four-hour ASFLC board meeting last week – where more than 30 students spoke in opposition – the board voted unanimously to deny Turning Point USA official status.
Friday’s emergency board meeting was held to revisit that decision after pushback from the group’s proposed leaders and outcry from some conservative students and community members.
A petition opposing the chapter gathered nearly 500 signatures. A second petition calling for the student board’s decision to be overturned collected more than 1,300.
Colorado Politics reported that Colorado House Republicans sent FLC President Heather Shotton a letter urging her to reconsider the student board’s decision.
Only about 30 people were allowed inside the chamber Friday because of fire safety regulations, leaving more than 60 students and community members waiting outside.
Several “Make America Great Again” hats and “We are Charlie” shirts – referencing Turning Point’s founder – stood out in the crowd gathered in the Student Union lobby.
Friday night’s meeting lasted just 30 minutes – significantly shorter than the previous session.
The meeting’s quick pace and limited capacity allowed only a handful of people to speak.
Two FLC students spoke in opposition to Turning Point USA becoming a registered student organization.
Four people, excluding Flynn, spoke in support – two students and two community members.
One student offered a neutral perspective, alluding to disagreements with the group’s ethics but welcoming it to campus as a registered organization.
Flynn said he wanted to reiterate – “in the spirit of reassurance” – that the group does not exist to discriminate or harass, but to honor “the spirit of free speech.”
“We just want to keep the conversation going in order to shun hate and violence,” he said. “We hate what happened to Charlie Kirk. We don’t want that to happen anymore, but we don’t think the solution is to just stop talking about it so that nobody kills us. We think the solution is to keep talking about things, so we can make conversing and debating a more acceptable way to go about society – so we can all just agree to disagree, perhaps, or be able to talk to each other without hating each other.”
After the meeting, Flynn told The Durango Herald he was excited the club had been accepted and said it will “carry the torch forward for Charlie.”
“I’m glad that the student senators can move on and go back to normalcy, and I’m especially excited that so many people came out to support the new chapter,” he said. “People want to be able to freely discuss and debate the big issues. Now they can.”
Student Lydia Faith Ashley described Turning Point representatives as being “not only underprepared but utterly unserious” when they spoke during the Oct. 29 meeting.
Ashley also expressed concern about the group having indicated an intent to switch gender-neutral bathrooms on campus back to gender-specific ones.
Ashley said the group was rightfully denied official status the first time.
“Turning Point was heard and they were denied,” Ashley said. “They were not silenced, and they were not threatened with discipline. They were even offered the opportunity to continue meeting on campus. The social consequences of their actions are not violations of their freedom of speech. ... They say they want freedom of speech and to keep the conversation going, but the truth is this Turning Point USA wants institutional protection so that they can spread their objectionable, backward views.”
Six of the seven ASFLC senators voted by secret ballot to instate the chapter. The seventh senator joined virtually and was unable to vote. ASFLC President Asa Worthington called it a “unanimous decision.”
Board members gave no rationale for their change of heart.
Flynn and his supporters cheered as they exited the chamber. In the Student Union lobby, they were met with a mix of boos and applause.
Board members were asked to remain in the chamber after the meeting to allow tensions outside to settle.
Some ASFLC board members were harassed and threatened after their initial denial of the chapter, following the circulation of a video showing their nameplates posted on social media by a supporter of the Turning Point chapter.
Flynn publicly apologized for board members “catching heat” in the wake of the last meeting.
“I don't think that I personally gave you too much heat, but I know you got a lot of heat for it, so I’ll just say sorry on behalf of anybody that gave you heat,” he told the board.
FLC senior Fi Eikenberry, who opposed the group at the previous meeting, had to wait in the lobby during Friday’s session because of capacity limits.
Eikenberry expressed feeling anxious about the reversal and concerned the group may not follow college regulations.
“I’m worried about all the people that this will hurt,” Eikenberry said. “This will endanger someone, and people won’t see that until it’s too late.”
During public comment, Flynn said safety concerns expressed by students were “misguided,” and that conservatives and Turning Point members should be the ones fearing for their safety.
“People that are saying they’re concerned about their safety in relation to Turning Point events are talking about some kind of fictional mental safety, or something like that,” he said. “...There’s no real danger coming to any liberals attending Turning Point events. I mean, who are the people who are getting hurt? Who are people getting killed at Turning Point events? It’s not a liberal: it’s Charlie Kirk – it’s a conservative guy.”
Flynn called the FLC Turning Point chapter a “political club,” despite also repeatedly describing it during both meetings as a “nonpartisan” group.
Another supporter initially called the proposed FLC chapter a “right wing” group, then backtracked saying it is “not even that partisan.”
FLC issued a statement Friday in response to the decision.
The college thanked ASFLC for its leadership in addressing a complex issue and expressed support for students “developing their understanding of free expression, inclusion, and civic responsibility.”
“This outcome reflects ASFLC’s commitment to fair governance, educational growth, and consistent policy application,” the statement read. “Recognition does not imply endorsement of any organization’s viewpoints; all RSOs are expected to follow college policies and uphold community standards.”
Worthington said he was proud of his fellow board members and senators for their poise in dealing with a contentious topic.
“The Senate voted and got work done, and I’m very proud of their ability to uphold their professionalism and their composure and do what needs to be done,” he said. “I think they did an excellent job.”
epond@durangoherald.com
