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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says his office will investigate the University of North Texas after the school ignored his earlier call to investigate and discipline students who a classmate accused of celebrating the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In a letter Thursday, Paxton also accused the university of failing to investigate what he called ongoing “radical leftist activity” on campus, including a student who allegedly approached a table set up by Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded, and shredded the group’s materials. He also condemned posters from student groups allegedly promoting “militant” movements and threats against the student who reported her classmates for celebrating Kirk’s shooting.
“Educational institutions cannot be incubators of violent radical leftists,” Paxton wrote. “Therefore, I implore you to take the only proper disciplinary action against the students who celebrated the death of Charlie Kirk: expulsion.”
Kirk was killed on Sept. 10 at an event at Utah Valley University. Mary-Catherine Hallmark, the UNT student referenced in Paxton’s letter, said in TikTok videos posted that day that she confronted classmates after one student showed a video of Kirk being shot and others cheered. She said she got into an argument with them before her professor told her, not the other students, to “take this outside.” Hallmark said she left the classroom in tears and went to the dean of students’ office and then the psychology department chair to report what happened, but felt the university “did not really care.”
Paxton first urged the university in a Sept. 19 letter to investigate the students and review the professor’s conduct. He said they may have violated the student code of conduct, free speech, and employee ethics policies, which require staff to act impartially and avoid viewpoint discrimination.
UNT did not immediately publicly respond Thursday to Paxton’s investigation. After receiving Paxton’s Sept. 19 letter, UNT said in a statement at the time that “the recent actions of a few of our community members regarding Mr. Kirk’s death do not represent the values of our community,” though it did not directly confirm the Sept. 10 incident Hallmark described. The university said students who violate the code of conduct “will be held accountable,” but it didn’t say whether it was investigating or disciplining anyone.
Paxton’s office, UNT, Hallmark and the university’s Turning Point USA chapter did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
Free speech experts told the Tribune last month that speech that mocks, trivializes or promotes violence is generally protected by the First Amendment. They said the bar for limiting speech comes when students incite or solicit violence, though it can be difficult to prove in court. Experts have also criticized state leaders for lauding Kirk — who often made comments many considered hateful or inappropriate — as a free speech champion while calling for the punishment of those who have celebrated his death.
Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott shared a video on X of a Texas State University student mocking Kirk’s death and wrote “expel this student immediately.” The student told the school’s student newspaper they were given two choices: withdraw or be expelled. He said he chose to withdraw.
The investigation also comes as public universities face tremendous political pressure from the state’s Republican leaders and following more than a month of turbulence at the schools.
At Texas A&M, a clip showing a professor teaching about gender sparked political backlash and the president’s resignation weeks later. Other universities, in an apparent attempt to avoid similar controversies, have requested reviews of their courses, with the Texas Tech University System specifically ordering faculty to comply with federal and state guidance that only recognizes two sexes, male and female.
Faculty have told the Tribune the universities’ actions have already limited discussions of transgender and nonbinary identities in their classrooms, which they say goes against longstanding academic freedom protections.
The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
Disclosure: Texas Tech University System and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
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