Texas State University has expelled a student after a video surfaced showing him mocking the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a campus memorial. The footage, shared widely online, depicts the student imitating Kirk's fatal shooting, including falling to the ground, and making crude comments. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shared the video and called for the student's removal, labeling the conduct unacceptable in state schools, the Guardian reports. The student's identity was not disclosed, with the university citing federal privacy laws.
University President Kelly Damphousse called the video disturbing and confirmed the expulsion, stating that behavior trivializing violence violates the school's core values. A similar case emerged at Texas Tech University, where another student was expelled for disrupting a Kirk memorial with inflammatory remarks.
Faculty and advocacy groups have expressed concern that such removals violate First Amendment protections of free speech. "People need to be able to express themselves, even in ways that offend others, because a lot of politics is going to be offensive," Dominic Coletti of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said Wednesday, per the Texas Tribune.
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These expulsions highlight a broader trend of disciplinary measures—including firings and suspensions—against individuals making controversial public statements about Kirk's death. The fallout has affected people in various sectors, from journalists to educators, with the Texas Education Agency reportedly investigating around 180 teachers accused of posting inappropriate online comments regarding Kirk.
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