A student-led petition is asking the USD 465 board of education and Winfield High School administrators to deny approval for a Club America chapter to operate on campus, citing concerns about the club’s mission.
Club America is the high school division of Turning Point USA, a conservative advocacy organization that has student-run chapters on college and high school campuses. Interest in the organization has increased after the Sept. 10 murder of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk during an event at a college campus in Utah. In Cowley County, a TPUSA chapter at Cowley College was recently restarted, and an interest meeting has been held regarding a Club America chapter at Winfield High School.
A press release issued by USD 465 Superintendent Tricia Reiser last week states Club America is currently operating on a trial basis at WHS while completing the steps required to be considered an official club.
A petition to bar the club from WHS was sent to USD 465 board of education members and WHS administrators on Oct. 31, according to an email sent to the CourierTraveler by USD 465 board member Andrea Ball.
Concerns cited in the petition, which Ball shared with the CourierTraveler after receiving permission from student organizers, include safety and inclusion on campus; undermining of community cohesion; and hate speech.
The petition calls on administrators and the school board to reject the application for a Turning Point USA chapter, or related events; adopt clear policies to prevent partisan organizations from recruiting on school grounds; and ensure all extracurricular organizations and guest speakers remain nonpartisan and inclusive.
The petition lists 78 signatories. Most are students at WHS, with a few from parents or members of the community.
Organizers of the petition questioned whether the is enough interest in having an organization like Turning Point USA on campus, citing a lack of other political clubs at the high school.
“Most importantly, this organization’s values are in opposition to the values of creating a safe space for students to learn and grow. The attached position highlights some of our concerns related to the hate speech inherent in this organization and the dehumanizing effects of such speech. This organization has led to violence at other campuses, and we feel it has the potential to create a similar environment in our school,” the email to administrators from student organizers read.
In her email to the CourierTraveler, Ball said she is not taking an official position on the issue at this time.
Phone messages left for Ball and USD 465 Superintendent Tricia Reiser seeking additional comments were not returned before deadline.