The Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter at SUNY Cortland hosted its first event as an officially recognized student organization at the university featuring NCAA Champion and activist Riley Gaines. More than two hundred students attended the event.
Students seeking to form the TPUSA chapter at the university previously sued CUNY Cortland for allegedly violating their First Amendment rights and for viewpoint discrimination after the students’ request to form a chapter was denied—despite meeting the necessary qualifications.
At the time, SUNY Cortland President Erik Bitterbaum reportedly told the conservative students, “We silence voices all the time in this country.” The lawsuit filed against the university claims that SUNY Cortland professor, Nikolay Karkov, “objected to and attacked” the students’ views.
Then, in March, the Student Government Association’s (SGA) review committee voted to overturn the university’s Senate decision to block students’ application to form an official TPUSA chapter on campus.
With just two weeks’ notice, the chapter planned its first event featuring Riley Gaines, who rose to prominence in the conservative media space after sharing her experience competing against a male swimmer during her final year of college. The SUNY Cortland Swimming and Diving team attended the TPUSA chapter event and was able to share their support for Gaines’ message.
More than 20 student volunteers pulled together to host the event, and according to TPUSA’s regional field representative, there was “not an empty seat” in the room.
“After a gritty legal battle, our [TPUSA] chapter at SUNY Cortland persevered and became an officially recognized student organization,” TPUSA CEO and Founder Charlie Kirk said. “Now just weeks later, they held their first chapter event with 200+ people.”
