St. John’s University blocked a bid by the late Charlie Kirk’s conservative Turning Point USA group from opening a chapter on campus shortly after his assassination last fall, The Post has learned.
The student government of SJU — one of the largest Catholic universities in the country — denied the application to open a Turning Point chapter months after Kirk was shot dead by a sniper on Sept. 10.
The student government has “sole authority” to approve or deny new organizations, a spokesperson told The Post on Tuesday. Clubs or organizations looking to open or “revitalize” chapters on campus have to pass a four-round “Power to Organize” process, he added.
“During the Fall 2025 semester, only 4 of 19 proposed organizations successfully navigated the approval process,” spokesperson Brian Browne said. “St. John’s students interested in Turning Point USA are encouraged to reapply to SGI in the Spring or pursue other existing alternatives for department-sponsored organizational support.”
Founded by Kirk in 2012, Turning Point USA’s mission is to identify, educate, train and organize students “to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.”
Critics said the refusal of St. John’s to open a Turning Point USA chapter at its Queen campus smacks of liberal bias and cancel culture run amok.
“Charlie Kirk was an advocate for civil discourse on campus. That was his trademark,” said Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
“Why any school, especially a Catholic one, would find fault with that boggles the mind. St. John’s idea of inclusion clearly extends to the LGBTQ cause, but not the cause of free speech.
“The alumni at St. John’s are known for their commitment to traditional moral values, but in recent years the school seems to have lost its moorings,” Donohue added. “They need to speak up, preferably with their wallets.”
National Review first reported on the rejection and the College Fix reported Monday that university officials didn’t intervene on behalf of Turning Point.
Massimo Guerriero, a 19-year-old student seeking to form a Turning Point USA chapter on campus, told College Fix that the student government leaders seemed biased against the bid.
“Many of the questions posed were not centered on our proposal or compliance with university requirements but instead focused on how we would respond to potential backlash tied to the ideologies of TPUSA’s founder,” Guerriero told the outlet.
He then received an email from the student government, which did not give a reason for the rejection but encouraged the group to reapply.
“We believe that with continued refinement, your organization has the potential to make a meaningful impact on our campus community,’” the rejection letter said, according to Guerriero.
The SJU student government had no immediate comment.
