Conservative students at Beloit College in Wisconsin claim that the institution is hindering their efforts to start a new Turning Point USA (TPUSA) club and is not effectively safeguarding them from harassment as they attempt to establish it.
On October 1, Jocelyn Jordan and fellow students initiated an application to form a TPUSA chapter, which involves finding a faculty advisor among other requirements. However, Jordan noted that every faculty member they approached, including the dean of students, turned down their request for help. She also mentioned being told to form a different group without using the Turning Point name, and that student government representatives indicated they wouldn’t be able to establish a TPUSA chapter even if they found an advisor.
In mid-October, Jordan and her peers began promoting their club on social media, which led to a wave of harassment aimed at those trying to form the chapter of the Republican organization founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. They were subjected to gruesome images posted online that labeled them as Nazis and white supremacists, and the situation escalated to include direct threats.
Jordan expressed frustration, noting that the university initially overlooked their harassment reports, insisting they needed to identify the culprits behind the hateful posts. When the threats intensified, she filed a police report, prompting more substantial action from the university, ultimately resulting in the expulsion of one main harasser, who was an alumnus working on campus.
“Every student, regardless of their beliefs or identity, should feel comfortable on campus. Right now, that’s not the case for us,” Jordan shared. She mentioned it took weeks for any significant response from the school.
Alongside banning the harasser, the university issued a vague warning to students about hateful remarks aimed at others, which Jordan found unsatisfactory, considering their complaints had largely been ignored. The college called out recent incidents portraying some students as dangerous extremists.
The harassment campaign against Jordan and her classmates was fueled, in part, by an Instagram page that has since been taken down. It manipulated images of Jordan and made offensive comparisons to both Kirk and Trump. One particularly explicit post juxtaposed a female Nazi’s image with Jordan’s face, under a hashtag suggesting bullying bigots.
Another individual sent a direct message to Jordan’s group, mocking their inability to secure a supportive instructor and warning them to “be careful.” This individual labeled the TPUSA group as “cowards” and mentioned their calls to the police, insinuating they were racially intimidating other students.
“Our first social media post received over 75 comments within a day, with most of them being hateful. We were called Klan members, Nazis, and faced personal attacks on our appearance,” Jordan shared on Facebook, criticizing the university for its inadequate response.
Then the threats intensified. Comments on their posts warned of potential violence against them, with some individuals dangerously inflating the rhetoric against Jordan and her group.
Beloit College responded to media inquiries with a statement emphasizing its commitment to a respectful community and asserting that it doesn’t obstruct student organizations. They mentioned that all clubs must adhere to campus policies. The college specified that allegations of harassment are handled seriously and reaffirmed its expectations for compassion and respect among students.
Despite the challenges, Jordan and her classmates are determined to see their TPUSA chapter realized. They aim to recruit a faculty advisor to become a fully recognized student group. Republican gubernatorial candidate Josh Schoeman has voiced his support for their efforts, urging the college to acknowledge the chapter and protect its members from any form of harassment.
Schoeman stated that inaction from the college would reflect poor leadership and emphasized the need for students to express their opinions freely and safely on campus.
