EDITORS' CORNER
Key Takeaways
- A Monroe County Community College administrator approved a Turning Point USA chapter despite the student government voting against it, citing free expression.
- Vice President Scott Behrens emphasized that his decision was made after discussions with student government members and the prospective club president, who assured adherence to college policies and respect for all students.
A Michigan community college has approved a Turning Point USA chapter after the student government voted to reject it, with an administrator overriding the decision in the name of free expression.
Last week, the Monroe County Community College student government association voted 8-3 against approving the chapter, according to a news release from the school.
Despite the vote, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success Scott Behrens used his final authority under school policy to approve the group and emailed the student government president and the club’s prospective advisor, Barry Kinsey, to confirm.
“Following the [SGA] meeting, several elected SGA members and their advisors engaged in a frank and thoughtful discussion with the prospective advisor and president of the Turning Point USA club,” Behrens wrote in the email.
“During this conversation, the prospective club president affirmed his belief that all individuals are created equal and possess equal rights; that all students are welcome to participate in club activities and freely express their opinions; that members who violate others’ rights should be held accountable, and that all members must adhere to college policies and procedures,” he wrote.
He also stated that at the end of the discussion, the SGA president and the attending elected members voiced their support for his decision to grant Turning Point official club status.
Behrens noted that his personal politics did not play a role in the decision. “In fact, my personal beliefs often differ from those of the national organization,” he wrote.
Finally, he stated that the organization’s proposed constitution and membership met the requirements for club formation, adding that groups with views differing from his own still have the right to exist and take part in campus life, provided they do so respectfully and uphold the rights of others.
The student government at MCCC isn’t the only one to vote against the formation of a TPUSA chapter on campus.
Last week, students erupted in cheers after the Fort Lewis College senate voted to reject the conservative group as an official student organization, The College Fix reported.
However, the senate president said the student government “may reconsider” its decision in the future.
Student leaders at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga also voted against approving a chapter at the school last month.
Still, UTC’s Dean of Students’ Office reviewed and approved the chapter as a Registered Student Organization, Fox 17 reported.
TPUSA has received an influx of new chapter requests following Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September, according to Fox News.
Within eight days of the TPUSA founder’s murder at Utah Valley University, the organization received over 62,000 requests throughout the nation, The College Fix previously reported.
MORE: Fired Illinois State U. TA who flipped TPUSA table arrested for threats against Trump
