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The Wichita State University Student Government Association's Supreme Court overturned a decision last week by the SGA's senate that had blocked a conservative student group from becoming a registered student organization.
During an Oct. 20 meeting of the Wichita State University Student Government Association Senate, the application for a Turning Point USA chapter to be officially recognized by the student government was voted down by a vote of 21-14 with four abstentions.
According to the minutes of the meeting obtained by Fox News, one student opposed the recognition of the TPUSA chapter because the group won't "provide underserved students a safe place on campus."
Former Vice President Mike Pence arrives on the stage before speaking at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
"I will be voting against this organization because I don't believe that their mission statement will provide underserved students a safe place on campus for them to be engaged with," Jozie Caudillo, a student government senator, said. "I just simply believe that this organization was in response to a lot of social issues that have been coming about within the past few years, especially since COVID."
Another student government senator, Tayton Majors, said he would be voting against the conservative group because it has a history of "defending racism."
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"First and foremost, I don't believe we should allow ourselves as a student government to be strong-armed or legally threatened by a group most commonly known — at least in my experience — for defending racism and the use of racial slurs in academic settings. Especially when we are dealing with an issue in which racism could be a part of the problem," Majors said.
Registered student organizations at Wichita State University receive access to campus space for meetings, eligibility for student government funding, and more.
While some student government senators agreed that TPUSA has the right to exist as an organization on campus, the group did not receive the votes required to become a registered student organization.
However, in a ruling by the Wichita State University Supreme Court of the Student Government Association, the senate's decision was overturned, and the TPUSA chapter was granted registered student organization status.
"It is in violation of the Association's Constitution, the Student Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States of America to use viewpoint discrimination as the basis for denying an organization official RSO status," the ruling states.
Itzia Barraza-Cόrdova, the director of public relations for the Wichita State Student Government Association, said in a statement that the SGA accepts the ruling.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk had roughly 800 students from 40 states at his summit for young conservatives. (2018 Getty Images)
Olivia Gallegos, president of the Wichita State University TPUSA chapter, told Fox News the vote is an example of viewpoint discrimination.
"I think it was viewpoint discrimination that they just didn't like our message when we come out," Gallegos said. "They just disagree with our organization. And that was very clear with some of the senators who gave speeches."
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Gallegos said the vote sends a clear message to conservative students on campus: their voice doesn't matter.
"I think the message that was sent to all conservatives with the senate decision is your voice does not matter," Gallegos said. "I think [it's] saying, 'Well, we're going to allow young college Democrats. We're going to allow the feminists on campus, the communist group, we'll allow that, but we will not allow a Turning Point USA group.'"
Gallegos pointed to the "Intersectional Student Leftist Association" which is a registered student organization and states in its constitution, "Our mission is to educate and radicalize open-minded individuals."
"It's just disgusting," Gallegos remarked. "We have a right to be up here on campus."
Wichita State's mascot WuShock fires up the crowd before a first-round game against Texas A&M in the women's NCAA college basketball tournament in College Station, Texas, March 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File) (The Associated Press)
Cherise Trump, executive director of Speech First, told Fox News that the student government decision is a "clear case of chilling speech on a college campus."
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"Universities exist for the free exchange of ideas, and the decision by the student senate to promote one political opinion while banning another is dangerous and wrong," Trump said.
A university spokesperson told Fox News that the organization will receive "full benefits" from the university if it is not granted the registered student organization status.
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