Kent State University is facing major backlash after a student-run organization announced it was inviting Kyle Rittenhouse to speak on campus.
In 2020, Rittenhouse came into public light after shooting and killing two men at a Black Lives Matter protest out of self-defense in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He wounded one other person. Rittenhouse was found not guilty and was acquitted of all charges in 2021.
At the time of the shooting, Rittenhouse was 17 years old.
Turning Point USA is the organization that is hosting the event; it announced Rittenhouse as a speaker on an Instagram post.
A petition has started to ask the organization to cancel Rittenhouse's appearance on campus.
"As a member of the Kent State community, I am deeply concerned about an upcoming event hosted by student organization Turning Point USA, which will feature Kyle Rittenhouse as a guest," Ally Greco, with the petition, wrote. "Rittenhouse is a controversial figure who shot three men, two fatally, during civil protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020. These individuals were protesting the shooting of a Black man by a white police officer."
This is not the first instance that Rittenhouse's appearance has been unwanted by college students. In 2021, Arizona State University students protested against Rittenhouse becoming a student at the school.
On May 4, 1970, Kent State had its own experience with gun violence when members of the Army National Guard fired into a crowd and killed four and wounded nine students.
"The decision to host an individual associated with such violence is not only insensitive to our community's past but also threatens to further divide us in these already tense times," Greco wrote. "We must remember that our university should be a place for learning and growth - not for promoting divisive figures or ideologies that could potentially incite more violence."
Rittenhouse is scheduled to go to Kent State on April 19.
The university released the following statement regarding his appearance:
A registered student organization is bringing this speaker to campus. Kent State University upholds the First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceful assembly for all. As a state university, we permit groups and individuals to speak and share their views on our campus about topics they feel are important. Kent State has a long history of allowing peaceful dialogue from all points of view, including those whom some may feel are offering different and/or sometimes controversial opinions. As with any speaker invited to our campus, the university does not endorse or condone an opinion or point of view represented by the speaker, nor does the university advocate for any topic the speaker might discuss during their visit to campus. We continue to support and encourage freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas. Consistent with our core values, we encourage open dialogue and respectful civil discourse in an inclusive environment.
Turning Point USA is an organization centered around American politics and government. Its mission statement reads:
Turning Point USA’s mission is to educate students about the importance of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and constitutional rights through innovative campus activism and non-partisan, thought-provoking discussion. This is done with the use of provided academic resources which include: weekly activism pamphlets, short videos, free-of-charge contributor speeches, and in-person support by TPUSA staff.
