St. John’s College blocked a bid by the late Charlie Kirk’s conservative Turning Level USA group from opening a chapter on campus shortly after his assassination final fall, The Put up has discovered.
The coed authorities of SJU — one of many largest Catholic universities within the nation — denied the applying to open a Turning Level chapter months after Kirk was shot lifeless by a sniper on Sept. 10.
The coed authorities has “sole authority” to approve or deny new organizations, a spokesperson advised The Put up on Tuesday. Golf equipment or organizations seeking to open or “revitalize” chapters on campus should move a four-round “Energy to Set up” course of, he added.
“In the course of the Fall 2025 semester, solely 4 of 19 proposed organizations efficiently navigated the approval course of,” spokesperson Brian Browne mentioned. “St. John’s college students interested by Turning Level USA are inspired to reapply to SGI within the Spring or pursue different present options for department-sponsored organizational help.”
Based by Kirk in 2012, Turning Level USA’s mission is to establish, educate, practice and arrange college students “to advertise the ideas of fiscal accountability, free markets, and restricted authorities.”
Critics mentioned the refusal of St. John’s to open a Turning Level USA chapter at its Queen campus smacks of liberal bias and cancel tradition run amok.
“Charlie Kirk was an advocate for civil discourse on campus. That was his trademark,” mentioned Invoice Donohue of the Catholic League for Spiritual and Civil Rights.
“Why any college, particularly a Catholic one, would discover fault with that boggles the thoughts. St. John’s concept of inclusion clearly extends to the LGBTQ trigger, however not the reason for free speech.
“The alumni at St. John’s are recognized for his or her dedication to conventional ethical values, however in recent times the varsity appears to have misplaced its moorings,” Donohue added. “They should communicate up, ideally with their wallets.”
Nationwide Evaluation first reported on the rejection and the Faculty Repair reported Monday that college officers didn’t intervene on behalf of Turning Level.
Massimo Guerriero, a 19-year-old pupil in search of to kind a Turning Level USA chapter on campus, advised Faculty Repair that the scholar authorities leaders appeared biased in opposition to the bid.
“Most of the questions posed weren’t centered on our proposal or compliance with college necessities however as an alternative targeted on how we might reply to potential backlash tied to the ideologies of TPUSA’s founder,” Guerriero advised the outlet.
He then acquired an electronic mail from the scholar authorities, which didn’t give a cause for the rejection however inspired the group to reapply.
“We imagine that with continued refinement, your group has the potential to make a significant impression on our campus neighborhood,’” the rejection letter mentioned, in response to Guerriero.
The SJU pupil authorities had no fast remark.
