At Loyola University New Orleans, a group of students seeking to launch a chapter of Turning Point USA has run into a roadblock that speaks volumes about the ideological climate on many college campuses: official rejection, not for procedural failings, but for perceived political impurity.
On October 15, the university’s Student Government Association (SGA) voted to deny the conservative group’s charter, preventing it from accessing university funds or reserving space on campus — effectively shutting down its ability to operate meaningfully. The justification? That Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and its late founder, Charlie Kirk, were allegedly “in direct opposition” to the values of the Jesuit institution.
But what’s become increasingly clear in the days since is that the decision has galvanized support well beyond Loyola’s walls. Louisiana GOP Chairman Derek Babcock told Fox News Digital that the state party is prepared to back the students through the appeals process, and — if necessary — beyond.
“There is no justifiable reason for denying Turning Point to have a chapter at that university,” Babcock said. “That’s an argument we’ll make in every arena that it needs to be made.”
The university’s refusal to recognize the group didn’t stem from procedural missteps, but from ideological objections — quotes attributed to Charlie Kirk about gender ideology and concerns about his supposed views on Hispanics were used as justification. Notably, these quotes reflect views consistent with official Catholic teaching, which also does not endorse same-sex marriage or transgender ideology.
This is where the contradiction becomes hard to ignore: a Jesuit university disqualifying a student group, at least in part, for affirming Catholic doctrine on matters of gender and sexuality.
If the concern was truly about alignment with “the values of Saint Ignatius,” one could argue TPUSA might actually exceed that threshold — not fall short of it.
And yet, the group was denied. The students behind the chapter are now appealing through the university’s judicial channel, known as the Court of Review, though it’s still unclear whether they’ll be permitted to speak at the hearing unless invited. The court, composed of student justices, has broad discretion over appeals. University spokesperson Aariel Charbonnet confirmed there’s no mechanism for university administrators to override the SGA decision unless it conflicts with legal statutes or university policies.
This highlights the precarious position conservative students often face: locked into student government bureaucracies that invoke “shared values” as a veto stamp while enjoying the protection of institutional autonomy — even when decisions arguably violate the spirit of free expression and religious compatibility.
Enter the Louisiana GOP, and possibly soon, the courts. Babcock noted the strong support for TPUSA across the state, including from Governor Jeff Landry, who recently spoke at a Turning Point event at LSU and called for a statue of Charlie Kirk to be erected on campus. That kind of political capital doesn’t go unnoticed — especially at a private institution still dependent on public goodwill, community relationships, and donor support.
“That university administration needs to think very carefully about what’s happening here,” Babcock warned.
It’s a warning not only to Loyola but to universities nationwide: you cannot claim to uphold diversity, inclusion, and intellectual exploration while suppressing political viewpoints you don’t like. Especially not when those viewpoints align more closely with the school’s own religious foundations than the loudest objectors in the room.
