MEMPHIS, Tenn. – University of Memphis officials agreed to requests made by a Turning Point USA chapter at the college to re-host an event that was shut down by a student mob nearly one year ago. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys sent a letter to university officials in October asking them to reschedule the event, provide adequate security and stop disruptions, and revise the university’s security fee policy.
In March 2024, TPUSA sponsored an event on-campus featuring conservative speaker Kyle Rittenhouse addressing the importance of individual rights and self-defense, but students and others disrupted the ticketing system and the event itself, forcing Rittenhouse to end the event early. The university welcomed Rittenhouse back to campus Wednesday, and the event faced no interruptions. The university made a statement in advance about the importance of respectful discourse and its policy against disruption. The university also provided a ticket system that reserved half of the seats for TPUSA members, and it revised its security fee policy.
“College campuses are meant to be a safe haven for the open exchange of ideas,” said ADF Legal Counsel Mathew Hoffmann. “While violent mobs disrupt events to shut down speech they don’t like, it’s a welcome sign to see the University of Memphis stand up to cancel culture. The Constitution and Tennessee law protect free speech on college campuses, and the university is right to enforce rules that uphold that fundamental freedom. We applaud the university for welcoming Mr. Rittenhouse back to campus and protecting the event from disruption.”
“Turning Point USA is pleased that last night’s event at the University of Memphis proceeded without obstruction,” said TPUSA Public Relations Manager Aubrey Laitsch. “Thank you to Alliance Defending Freedom for holding the university accountable. While last year’s challenges in organizing this event exposed serious concerns, we’re encouraged to see progress. TPUSA remains committed to defending students’ rights and ensuring that all voices can be heard on campus.”
On the day of the original event, students loudly heckled Rittenhouse, forcing him to end his speech early and move to the Q&A portion before his security team escorted him out of the building. The mob chased TPUSA members to the parking lot, spitting on and hitting their cars as they tried to leave. Police and university officials who were present at the event took no action against the mob. Students went on to boast that they gave Rittenhouse a “Memphis welcome.”
H. David Lowrance, one of more than 4,800 attorneys in the ADF Attorney Network, is serving as local counsel for TPUSA at the University of Memphis.
The ADF Center for Academic Freedom is dedicated to protecting First Amendment and related freedoms for students and faculty so that everyone can freely participate in the marketplace of ideas without fear of government censorship.
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