Incident at Fort Lewis College Involving Student and Local Resident
A college student in Colorado was detained earlier this month after allegedly striking an elderly man during a campus meeting approving the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter.
Megan Elizabeth Hope Mollett, a student at Fort Lewis College, was filmed during the altercation and subsequently taken into custody. The incident occurred on November 7, while local resident Dave Peters was celebrating the chapter’s recognition.
This confrontation happened right after the Associated Students of Fort Lewis College (ASFLC) held an emergency meeting where they reversed a previous rejection of a proposal by senior Jonah Flynn to establish the TPUSA group. The decision had sparked significant controversy on campus.
Police reports indicate that Mollett was released after receiving a warning for harassment. Around 70 people attended the meeting, with many expressing differing political views. According to the report, Peters, described as an “older man” in a red jacket, approached Mollett while “booing and yelling.”
“The man began recording Mollett with his phone, standing just a foot away from her,” the report noted. “Mollett then began punching Peters.” It’s mentioned that Peters was holding both a cell phone and an empty Taco Bell cup at the time.
Peters, 66, who previously chaired the La Plata County Republican Party and worked for Chevron, later told a news outlet that he didn’t wish to press charges against Mollett but preferred that the university impose disciplinary measures.
During the meeting, after it concluded, some attendees began to clap, leading to booing from others. Peters recounted an interaction with a man, later identified as David Kozak—a former Fort Lewis professor—who aggressively accused him of being a “Nazi” and “fascist.” This verbal exchange followed the approval of the TPUSA chapter.
While Mollett was being apprehended, Kozak was also seen reacting vocally to the approval of the chapter. The reversal of ASFLC’s earlier decision to deny TPUSA clearly angered him, and he expressed disdain toward supporters of the group.
Neither Mollett nor Kozak provided comments when approached for responses.
The officer who documented the incident reported telling Mollett and those against TPUSA, who used “they/them” pronouns, to find a calmer space. He remarked on the high tensions during the politically charged meeting and advised her to take a breath.
Recent weeks had been challenging for the TPUSA chapter, particularly for Flynn, whose efforts to start the group initially faced backlash. A petition aimed at the student government urging the rejection of this chapter had gained traction, but a subsequent counter-petition supporting it ultimately succeeded.
In response to Mollett’s actions, a Fort Lewis College spokesperson stated, “All students are expected to follow the Student Code of Conduct. The college values free speech while emphasizing civility and safety.”
When asked if any disciplinary actions would be pursued against Mollett, the spokesperson cited privacy laws and stated that the university treats all allegations of misconduct seriously.
Peters expressed his support for free speech principles and mentioned his admiration for the work of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. “His approach to interacting with people of differing opinions is constructive rather than combative,” Peters stated.
