Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has warned schools across the state that try to stop Turning Point USA chapters from forming on their campuses. The Republican attorney general said his office would take legal action against any schools that block the conservative student group.
Uthmeier made the announcement in a video posted on X. He said he had heard reports from across Florida about public schools not letting Turning Point USA groups form. The attorney general did not say which schools had blocked chapters from starting.
In the video, Uthmeier said, “We were hearing reports up and down the state of public schools not allowing Turning Point USA organizations to be formed on campus. This is discriminatory. It’s wrong and we will not stand for it.” He added that the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Parental Rights would bring legal action when needed to protect students’ rights to organize, meet together, and speak freely.
Turning Point USA sees big growth after founder’s death
The warning comes as more students want to join Turning Point USA after the assassination of its founder, Charlie Kirk. The 31-year-old conservative activist was shot and killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University during his American Comeback Tour. Kirk, a close friend of President Donald Trump, helped get young Republican voters involved through the group he started.
Since Kirk’s death, Turning Point USA has seen a huge response from students who want to start new chapters. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for the group, said on X that requests had gone over 120,000 after a memorial service for Kirk. The group had about 900 college chapters and around 1,200 high school chapters across the country before Kirk’s death.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, was named as the next CEO of Turning Point USA. The group said on social media that Kirk had told several executives this was what he wanted if he died. She has promised to continue her late husband’s work and keep the group’s mission going.
Uthmeier appeared in his video with April Carney, a member of the Duval County School Board. Carney said the board is working on updating its student group policy so there would be no problems with students opening a Turning Point USA chapter or any other club at their school. The attorney general said his office sees blocking these chapters as going against students’ rights to free speech and meeting together. The suspect accused of Kirk’s killing, Tyler Robinson, was arrested on September 12 after a 33-hour search.
Published: Sep 26, 2025 01:40 pm