HIGHLIGHTS

• The Loyola University New Orleans Student Government Association voted on October 15 to deny Turning Point USA an official campus charter
• The decision prevents TPUSA from accessing university funds or reserving campus spaces for events
• Nearly 100 students packed the senate meeting to protest the conservative organization’s chartering request
• Opponents cited conflicts with Loyola’s Jesuit Catholic values and concerns about divisive rhetoric
• Tulane University paused all new student organization applications one day after receiving the TPUSA charter request

Loyola University New Orleans Student Government Denies Turning Point USA Charter

The rejection marks Louisiana’s second private university, blocking the conservative group’s campus presence.

NEW ORLEANS, La. (KPEL News) — Students at Loyola University New Orleans effectively blocked a conservative political group from gaining official recognition on campus last week, making the private Jesuit institution the second Louisiana university in recent days to prevent Turning Point USA from establishing a formal chapter.

The Student Government Association senate voted during its October 15 meeting to deny the newly-formed TPUSA chapter the ability to charter as an official university organization, according to The Maroon, the school’s student newspaper. The decision means the conservative group cannot access university funding or reserve campus spaces for meetings and events.

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What Loyola Students and Senators Said

Nearly 100 students packed the senate meeting to voice opposition to the charter request, according to Fight Back! News, which covered the proceedings. Student senators who opposed the charter questioned whether TPUSA’s presence would make campus feel unsafe for minority students, who comprise the majority of Loyola’s student body.

“Historically, Turning Point has said a variety of controversial things – so much so that they had to be removed due to violence and hate speech,” one student senator said during the meeting, according to Fight Back! News. “How do you know your chartering isn’t going to make people on this campus feel unsafe?”

Rosalina Framboise, a freshman and member of Students for a Democratic Society, argued that TPUSA conflicts with the university’s core Jesuit principles. “Loyola University New Orleans, and our whole Jesuit Community, have prided themselves on the core values of Saint Ignatius, and the Society of Jesus at large,” Framboise said. “As it stands, Turning Point USA, its leaders, and many of the individuals whom they support are in direct opposition of these values.”

She specifically cited two core Jesuit values—care for the whole person and special care for the poor and oppressed—as incompatible with statements attributed to TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk regarding LGBTQ+ individuals and transgender identity.

Another student raised concerns about the group’s impact on Loyola’s efforts to become a Hispanic Serving Institution. “I know that the founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, called my people part of a conspiracy for a ‘great replacement in white America,’” the Latino student said, according to Fight Back! News. “If we want to become a Hispanic serving institution, how are we also going to charter an organization that explicitly promotes hate towards Hispanics?”

University’s Official Response

Loyola University administration emphasized the student-led nature of the chartering process in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“At Loyola University New Orleans, the chartering of new student organizations, including Turning Point USA, follows a student-led, peer-to-peer process administered by the Student Government Association,” the university stated. “The SGA Senate made a recommendation to the SGA President on the proposed organization’s application for recognition, and the SGA President upheld the recommendation.”

The university noted that TPUSA organizers have been informed of their right to appeal through the SGA Court of Review, as outlined in Loyola’s Student Organization Handbook. The chapter’s leadership declined to comment on the decision.

What Louisiana Families Need to Know About the National Context

The Loyola decision comes amid a wave of new Turning Point USA chapter formation following the September 10 assassination of founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. According to The Tulane Hullabaloo, TPUSA reported receiving over 120,000 new requests for campus chapter recognition following Kirk’s death.

The organization, which describes its mission as promoting “fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government,” has faced controversy at universities nationwide. Some schools, including the University of Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology, have denied official recognition to TPUSA chapters.

However, other institutions have taken different approaches. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga overruled its student government’s rejection and granted official approval to a TPUSA chapter, according to Campus Reform.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has threatened legal action against Florida universities that block TPUSA chapters, citing free speech concerns.

Timeline and Louisiana University Patterns

Loyola currently recognizes several left-leaning student organizations on campus, including Feminist Fridays, which meets weekly to discuss feminist issues and theory, according to Campus Reform.

The denial makes Loyola the second Louisiana private university in recent days to impede TPUSA’s campus organizing efforts. Tulane University announced it was “temporarily pausing new applications for Recognized Student Organizations” while conducting a comprehensive review of active organizations—one day after receiving TPUSA’s charter application, according to a statement on the university’s website.

“As of Fall 2025, Tulane University is temporarily pausing new applications for Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) while we conduct a comprehensive review of all currently active organizations, including those affiliated with national or international partners,” Tulane’s statement reads. “This review ensures that all RSOs remain aligned with Tulane’s Non-Discrimination Policy, Title VI and Title IX protections, and our shared commitment to equitable student participation.”

Noam Gracia, a freshman and president of Tulane’s TPUSA chapter, told The Tulane Hullabaloo that the timing of the pause seemed deliberate. “I feel like it’s very obvious that they’re trying to stall us,” Gracia said.

The TPUSA Bayou territory, which covers Louisiana and Southern Mississippi, has more than doubled its chapters from nine to 19 this year, including new efforts at both Tulane and Loyola.

What Happens Next for New Orleans Campus Politics

Student senator Terrance Parker described the Loyola meeting as “intense but rewarding,” telling The Maroon that seeing ideological unity among students was “a refreshing feeling.” SGA Vice President Jessica Valerio said her goal was keeping the meeting “fair and balanced despite the heated atmosphere.”

The Loyola TPUSA chapter has gained nearly 600 followers on Instagram since launching its page last month. While the group cannot access official university resources or recognition, members could potentially continue organizing informally off campus or through other channels.

As private institutions, both Loyola and Tulane are not legally bound by First Amendment protections that apply to public universities. However, critics argue the schools should voluntarily uphold free speech principles regardless of legal requirements.