Alums urge St. John’s to reverse ban on Turning Point USA campus chapter

Six Republican state legislators are urging their alma mater, St. John’s University, to reverse a decision that blocked the late Charlie Kirk’s conservative Turning Point USA group from opening a chapter on the Queens campus.

The student government of SJU — one of the largest Catholic universities in the country — denied an application to open a Turning Point USA chapter just months after Kirk was shot dead by a sniper on Sept. 10.

“Allowing Turning Point USA to operate on campus would not only provide students with an additional platform for civic engagement but also strengthen the university’s reputation as a place where every student can find their voice and advocate for their beliefs,” the pols wrote in a Feb. 3 letter to SJU Student Government Inc. president Ava Wilson.

The alums who signed the letter — which was copied to university president the Rev. Brian Shanley and other administrators — were state Sens. Andrew Lanza, Jack Martins and Anthony Palumbo and Assembly members Ed Ra, Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and John Mikulin.

“You can reaffirm St. John’s dedication to academic freedom and respectful discourse by ensuring that students of all political beliefs can exercise their free speech rights on campus. We urge you to reconsider this decision,” the SJU graduates-turned-politicians said.

Student government, not the university administration, makes the calls on approving or opposing applications for new clubs.

Turning Point USA has not been approved as a club for the current semester, either.

“The university has failed to recognize the voices of conservative Catholic students who want fair representation,” said Massimo Guerriero, a 19-year-old SJU student seeking to form a Turning Point USA chapter on campus.

“When more than half of the student body leans liberal, student government predictably reflects that imbalance and advances liberal agendas while silencing opposing views,” Guerriero said.

“The administration refuses to intervene, relying on the assumption that donors, alumni, and parents will believe the university bears no responsibility. In reality, this flawed and corrupt system has allowed liberal rhetoric to dominate campus for years, clearly shown by the repeated denial of TPUSA.”

He said it was “unacceptable” to deny Christian-influenced group such as Turning Point USA on campus while LGBTQ and Muslim clubs are welcome.

Guerriero urged alums to reconsider supporting the university.

“I call on the McCallen Society, the Founders Society, and all donors to reconsider their support—because if Catholic youth are not heard at a Catholic university, money will have to speak for them,” he said.

Wilson, the student government president, and the SJU administration declined to comment.