​BAN TURNING POINT USA FROM OUR CAMPUSES

On April 11, 2023, Dr. Harris Kornstein, Assistant Professor of Public & Applied Humanities at UA, was harassed by two men outside of a classroom building following class; they filmed Dr. Kornstein non-consensually and asked offensive, sexually-explicit, anti-LGBTQ+ questions. Then again, on Wednesday, October 11, Dr. David Boyles, an instructor in the ASU English Department at ASU, was harassed following the same playbook by the same team, who filmed, followed, aggressively questioned, and then physically attacked Dr. Boyles.

In both cases, the attackers were affiliates of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) who openly declared that their harassment of Kornstein and Boyles was motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.

Despite attempts by the ASU student organization TPUSA to distance themselves from the national organization, they are clearly connected: at ASU’s TPUSA chapter-hosted event on September 27 on the Tempe campus, those associated with the group engaged in blatant sexual harassment of queer and trans students.

Such harassment and attacks are completely unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. We must pursue every avenue to ensure they do not happen again. In his clear and unequivocal statement condemning TPUSA’s actions as “anti-democratic, anti-free speech and completely contrary to the spirit of university scholarship, teaching and community,” ASU President Crow suggested that “ASU will do all that we can to end the bullying and intimidation” and “reduce threats against the members of the ASU community.” UA President Robbins must do the same for the UA community.

We call on both universities to act immediately by banning TPUSA from all of our campuses and unregistering its affiliated student organizations.
ASU’s Student Organization/Club Handbook, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, and the ABOR Student Code of Conduct all clearly indicate that that “officers or leaders of a student organization may be held collectively and/or individually responsible when such violations are committed by persons associated with the organization who have received consent or encouragement from the organization's officers or leaders or if those officers or leaders knew or should have known that such violations were being or would be committed.” These violations are “[e]ndangering, threatening, or causing physical harm to any member of the university community” and “[e]ngaging in discriminatory activities, including harassment . . . as prohibited by applicable law or university policy.”

While we are committed to the principles of free speech, we must be clear that when an organization violates the rights and the physical safety of our community members, it forfeits its right to university resources. Our universities cannot claim to uphold an environment that is safe and welcoming for all if they officially recognize and register groups that engage in violence and harassment against members of our community.

We stand together against violence and hate. We stand together in solidarity with Dr. Kornstein and Dr. Boyles. We stand together, committed to carrying out the actions that will ensure our university and our campuses are safe and inclusive for the students, staff, and faculty so that an attack like this will never happen again. We challenge President Crow, President Robbins, and our university administrations to do the same.

Signed,

United Campus Workers Arizona
Black Graduate Student Association Executive Board at ASU
Young Democratic Socialists of America at ASU
Transfam at ASU
GRADient
Coalition of Black Students and Allies at UArizona​
Student Solidarity Collective
Rainbow Coalition at ASU Executive Board
​Arizona Student Alliance​​
Accessibility Coalition Executive Board​ at ASU
​UAZ Divest