The unofficial San Jose State chapter of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit conservative organization, sparked discussions about free speech with passers-by Wednesday in front of the Chavez Fountain.
Turning Point USA is focused on educating and training students to promote freedom, according to its website.
Although members said the event had been “canceled” by San Jose State because of a university policy violation, the organization was on campus for more than four hours.
Turning Point USA was planning to utilize campus facilities under another student organization reservation through College Republicans, which is not permitted, according to an email statement from the SJSU Student Involvement Office.
College Republicans is not a student chapter of Turning Point USA, so when it booked the space for Turning Point USA’s use, the organization violated Student Union guidelines, according to the SJSU Student Involvement Office email statement.
Morgonn McMichael, Turning Point USA contributor, was on campus to interview SJSU students about freedom of speech and to provide copies of the U.S. constitution and voting registration forms.
McMichael said she felt fortunate to speak to college students.
“The university did not want our organization to have a presence here on campus,” McMichael said. “We were supposed to have a planned event today, a formal speaking event in a classroom, but instead, we're out here doing it right on Seventh Street.”
In a Wednesday article written by McMichael on Turning Point USA’s website, SJSU has allegedly refused to reinstate the chapter on campus.
Robin McElhatton, SJSU assistant media relations director, said the chapter was a recognized student group between 2019-20, but it did not apply for a re-recognition or to be a new student organization this year.
The re-recognition process includes completing an application and required training through a Canvas course, according to the SJSU Student Involvement Office.
Student organizations also need to have five minimum members, an SJSU faculty or staff member to serve as an adviser and to submit a constitution that is aligned with California State University policies to be eligible for re-recognition, according to the SJSU Student Involvement Recognition Process webpage.
Some San Jose State students affiliated with Turning Point USA, who prefer to remain anonymous because of privacy concerns, all said they still need to find an adviser for their organization.
Although the official event was canceled, UPD Capt. Frank Belcastro said McMichael and other Turning Point USA affiliates did not break any university guidelines by being on Seventh Street.
Belcastro said as long as they did not set up a table, they had the right to stay there.
Turning Point USA affiliates held up signs around a wagon that was covered with signs and had pamphlets on top of it.
“If they commit a crime, we certainly take action, but speech, as long as it's not hate speech or anything that's prohibited by law, they are free to do it,” Belcastro said.
Magnus Herrlin, Associated Students board member and president of the student organization Democrats at San Jose State, debated with McMichael in front of the Student Wellness Center.
Herrlin said McMichael allegedly made false statements about the university.
“I find it offensive for them to be claiming that SJSU violated their rights to standardize them for their views, which is completely untrue,” Herrlin said.
He said although he does not condone the standpoints on issues that Turning Point USA is known to hold, he thinks dialogue is important, especially with those who have different points of views.
“I do have a problem with how they continuously spread misinformation about vaccines and the election,” Herrlin said.
Turning Point USA has forged a strong relationship with former president Donald Trump, with organizers spreading misinformation about the 2020 presidential election and COVID-19 vaccines, according to a July 23, 2021 Washington Post article.
It also runs the controversial “professor watchlist,” which seeks to “expose” professors who allegedly discriminate against conservative students and advance “leftist propaganda,” according to a Feb. 14, 2019 Anti-Defamation League article, an anti-hate organization.
Herrlin said despite that, he maintains that the dialogue is important.
“Hopefully, we're able to change some minds today,” Herrlin said.
