Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a letter to an Orlando law school Thursday claiming “blatant viewpoint discrimination” after it rejected a student-run chapter of Turning Point USA.
Uthmeier’s letter followed a public claim from a student at Barry University’s law school that a dean denied a student request to establish a chapter of the conservative political organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
Christina Malsky said the dean’s letter claimed Turning Point’s activism and campaign style was “inconsistent with the university’s educational philosophy of reflective dialogue and respect for human dignity,” according to a story published on Turning Point’s website last month.
Barry University is a private, Catholic school in South Florida, with its law school campus in Orlando near Baldwin Park.
“The letter asserted that the ‘stated mission, national affiliation, and programmatic focus’ of Turning Point USA are not aligned with Barry University’s Catholic and Adrian Dominican heritage,” Malsky told the organization.
Barry University said Thursday it had received Uthmeier’s letter and was “looking into the concerns that were raised.”
The September killing of Kirk, a charismatic right-wing activist, at a Utah university prompted a sharp increase in interest in forming Turning Point chapters at schools and colleges across the country.
Kirk, 31, was a confidant of President Donald Trump and a combative conservative leader who openly criticized racial justice movements, the news media and LGBTQ+ rights.
Critics said his views perpetuated racist, anti-immigrant, anti-feminist and homophobic ideas. Uthmeier, like other supporters, said Kirk “exemplified a return to civic and peaceful debate.”
In his letter, Uthmeier demanded Barry University “cease its discriminatory practices and grant students equal access to form and operate a Turning Point USA chapter.”
The university’s denial violates students’ free speech and runs counter to its claim it “values discussion of differing viewpoints,” Uthmeier said.
“It is admirable that your students want to bring a chapter of those values to Barry Law. It is not only consistent with the University’s purpose; it is an affirmative good the school should encourage and embrace,” he added.
Uthmeier and Malsky both pointed to on-campus groups at Barry University that promoted LGBTQ rights, claiming those organizations went against the school’s values.
Uthmeier’s letter mentioned OUTLaw, an organization on Barry’s campus, that serves as “a forum for exploring the legal issues faced by people in the LGBTQ+ community,” according to the group’s page.
“We believe this denial is not about programming, conduct, or policy compliance. It is about the TPUSA name and perceived political identity,” Malsky told the organization.