State GOP Throws Support Behind Turning Point USA Chapter Rejected By University

The Louisiana Republican Party is stepping in to support students at Loyola University New Orleans after the school’s Student Government Association (SGA) denied a Turning Point USA chapter the ability to become an official campus organization.

Louisiana GOP Chairman Derek Babcock told Fox News that the party is encouraging the students to appeal through proper channels and pledged support throughout the process.

“For the students, certainly, we encourage them to go through the process the way that it’s written out,” Babcock said. “I think that’s the right way to initially do this — and we’ll support them in every way we can through that process.”

The SGA voted on October 15 to deny the group’s charter, preventing the conservative organization from receiving university funding or reserving campus facilities. The students plan to appeal the decision.

“If they’re denied again, I believe that is an injustice that needs to be rectified, and we’re going to be there to help them in any and every way necessary to right the injustice,” Babcock added.

Concerns Over Values Clash

Students opposing the charter argued that Turning Point USA’s views conflict with the Jesuit university’s stated values. One student cited controversial comments attributed to the organization’s late founder, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on September 10.

Kirk, a nationally known conservative activist, founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to promote free markets and limited government on college campuses. In the wake of his assassination, universities nationwide have seen an uptick in students seeking to start new Turning Point chapters, viewing the move as a way to honor Kirk’s legacy and defend free speech on campus.

Some students at Loyola claimed that Kirk’s past remarks about issues including gender ideology and immigration were inconsistent with Catholic values. However, Catholic doctrine itself does not affirm same-sex marriage or gender transition, and supporters of the Loyola chapter argue that their views are consistent with traditional Christian teachings.

Calls for Reconsideration

Babcock urged Loyola’s student government to reconsider its decision and accused it of discriminating against conservative viewpoints.

“There is no justifiable reason for denying Turning Point to have a chapter at that university,” he said. “That’s an argument we’ll make in every arena that it needs to be made. And if that’s what has to happen, we’ll be there with those students to help support them through that process.”

He also called on the university administration to take the matter seriously, suggesting that Loyola officials should ensure there is a fair process in place for appeals.

“They need to be paying attention to this, and they need to take it seriously,” Babcock said. “If they don’t have a mechanism in place today, they need to get one quickly.”

Political and Public Support

The controversy comes as Turning Point USA gains renewed visibility following Kirk’s death. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a longtime supporter of the group, spoke Monday night at a Turning Point event at Louisiana State University, where he called for a statue to be erected in Kirk’s honor.

Babcock said Loyola’s administration should recognize the governor’s public backing as a sign of the organization’s broad support across Louisiana.

“I know they’re a private university, but they’re in the state of Louisiana,” he said. “And here’s our Louisiana governor, not just supporting but actually speaking at and advocating for Turning Point events and memorials. That university administration needs to think very carefully about what’s happening here.”

Turning Point USA chapters continue to expand at universities across the country as conservative students push for equal representation on campuses they say have become increasingly hostile to right-leaning ideas.

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