Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is demanding that universities nationwide protect speakers following reports that schools are exploiting Charlie Kirk’s assassination to impose restrictive campus policies.
Paxton joined a multistate coalition Monday in warning university administrators against using the September killing as justification for discriminatory security fees or facility restrictions targeting right-leaning voices.
The letter, released by Paxton’s office, responds to reports that some universities are imposing heightened security requirements specifically on “conservative speakers.” Such viewpoint-based discrimination violates First Amendment protections, the attorneys general argue.
“Any twisted radical attempting to weaponize the tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s assassination to silence the conservative movement will be exposed, stopped, and held accountable,” Paxton said in a statement. “The patriotic voices of the young people in the conservative movement are louder and stronger than ever, and I will not allow any school to quiet them.”
The coalition letter, led by Iowa’s attorney general, demands that universities confirm their facility-use and security-fee policies remain viewpoint-neutral. Schools imposing restrictions based on political ideology rather than legitimate safety concerns face potential legal action.
Paxton’s office pledged to monitor campus policies closely and defend First Amendment rights of Texas students. The letter asks universities to verify that their policies don’t discriminate against speakers based on political viewpoints.
Conservative activists have long complained about campus restrictions they view as targeting right-wing speakers. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was a prominent voice in the youth movement before his death.
The attorneys general warn that using tragedy as a pretext for censorship crosses constitutional boundaries. Universities receiving the letter must now certify their speaker policies remain politically neutral or risk enforcement action.