Loyola denies TPUSA chapter for second time despite public outcry
Loyola University New Orleans’ Student Government Association recently voted to deny an appeal from a Turning Point USA chapter seeking registered student organization status.
The chapter was previously denied in October, leading to backlash from state Republican officials.
A Louisiana university is under fire for once again denying recognition to a conservative student organization.
Loyola University New Orleans’ Student Government Association denied registered student organization to a chapter of Turning Point USA for the second time, the student newspaper The Maroon reported.
Campus Reform reported that the SGA denied the group in October, citing its focus “on maintaining fairness and community.”
The decision drew widespread criticism from lawmakers, including the governor who questioned the school’s mission of welcoming “students of diverse backgrounds” and promising to investigate, according to a separate Campus Reform report.
The chapter filed a successful appeal on Nov. 5 with the SGA’s Court of Review, forcing the body to hold a second meeting and revote. More than 60 students attended the meeting, bringing the room to capacity and causing some to be removed for fire-safety concerns.
“Before the meeting even started, the room was apparently at ‘capacity,’ and the SGA VP said ‘people need to leave’ so that they [SGA] could ‘not face a fire marshal violation’ otherwise ‘campus police will be removing people,’” said Ethan Estis, a law student who advised the chapter.
[RELATED: UMD TPUSA faces excessive security fee for campus event]
Estis claimed that these rules were not adhered to in the prior meeting and said that one SGA representative unsuccessfully tried to remove everyone but undergraduate students from the room.
Several students spoke out in support of the chapter, such as one student who told The Maroon, “Me, personally, I like it because it’s trying to spread Christianity and bring more diversity. You can’t have one side; you need both.”
Other students claimed that the chapter “poses a serious security threat to students and faculty,” and that it overall “is not what Loyola stands for.”
Not all appeals from TPUSA chapters seeking official recognition have failed, however. Campus Reform reported that Fort Lewis College’s student government voted to approve the group during an emergency meeting after previously denying it and drawing backlash from Colorado Republican lawmakers.
Loyola University New Orleans and the Student Government Association have been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
