Student says he was reprimanded for wearing TPUSA-issued hat while eulogizing Charlie Kirk
An Oklahoma State University student claims he was lectured by a Student Government adviser after wearing a Turning Point USA-issued Trump hat at one of the group’s meetings.
The adviser reportedly told him that the hat may have upset people who are ‘triggered by those hats and by that side.’
A student says he was reprimanded by a staff member after paying tribute to Charlie Kirk at an Oklahoma State University Student Government Association meeting.
Josh Wilson spoke at the Sept. 10 meeting after Kirk was shot and delivered remarks honoring his life and efforts to advance civil discourse. Wilson, a junior, serves as the president of the OSU Debate Society and has worked with the school’s TPUSA chapter, along with being a sitting member of SGA.
Wilson said that Kirk was “a father, a husband, a devout Christian, and a shining light for so many,” and that his assassination was “horrendous and vile, just as political violence of any kind is.”
He also called for the continuation of peaceful discourse, saying, “May we carry forward his legacy by refusing to shy away from difficult conversations, by standing firm in our convictions, and by remembering that true progress begins with dialogue.”
The speech was applauded by many in attendance, according to a statement made by Wilson to Fox News Digital. Melisa Echols, the coordinator of SGA programs, was apparently not pleased, however.
Echols asked to meet privately with Wilson, during which she reportedly voiced her disdain for his comments and his choice of attire, namely a Trump hat issued by Turning Point USA.
”As a person who doesn’t look like you and has not had the same lived experience as you, I have family who don’t look like you who are triggered — and I will be very candid with you — who are triggered by those hats and by that side,” Echols told Wilson, according to recordings obtained by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.
She also noted that Wilson should “ask others who don’t look like you and have open conversations with anyone that has a different lived experience.”
Wilson rebutted Echols’ lecture, saying, “Idea and conversation is what built this country, and it’s what should maintain it. And that’s what the hat was there for.” He also informed her that her identity-related arguments were moot because he has Native American ancestry.
He also claimed that Echols passively threatened him by saying, “It cannot just be, ‘yes, but’ - cannot be every response that you give me. Otherwise, this year is going to be difficult for you.”
”The OSU Student Government Association has a nonpartisan tradition, however the organization has no official policies to restrict partisan expression, and the organization has not enacted or enforced such a policy The student in question spoke freely during last month’s SGA meeting and expressed his views without interruption or restriction,” a university statement shared with Campus Reform said.
”The university is committed to protecting, promoting and facilitating free expression for all students, regardless of their views, and clarification regarding SGA policies has been provided to appropriate university staff. OSU embraces its role as a marketplace of ideas, and we believe a robust public discourse is essential to the process of addressing society’s most pressing challenges, which is our charge as a land-grant institution.”
All relevant parties have been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article has been updated with a statement from Oklahoma State University, and to reflect Echols’ role as a member of the university’s staff.
