Loyola New Orleans student government denies TPUSA chapter for second time

Loyola University student government Wednesday night rejected a chapter of Turning Point USA from becoming a registered student organization (RSO) for the second time.

The decision was made after Turning Point students won an appeal from the school’s reviewing court, and the case was sent back to the student government, which had originally rejected the department in October. The student government has yet to provide a reason to block the conservative group for a second time.

“[I]Again, it’s pure politics,” Loyola New Orleans law student Ethan Estis told Fox News Digital Thursday morning. Estis advised Turning Point undergraduate students through their appeals process.

Estis questioned the student government association (SGA)’s strict enforcement of some rules and said those rules were not followed at the first Turning Point meeting.

LOUISIANA GOP, TURNING POINT SECTION WHERE NEW ORLEANS UNIVERSITY IS REJECTED IN THE USA: ‘INJUSTICE’

“Before the meeting started, the room was at ‘capacity’ and the SGA Vice President said ‘people had to leave’ so [SGA] could ‘not face a fire marshal violation’ otherwise ‘campus police will be removing people,'” he said, adding that a crowd of about 80 to 90 people turned out for the meeting.

“Unlike the last SGA meeting, none of the procedures within the SGA such as asking to be within the fire chief capacity threshold, going into executive session, etc. were followed last time,” Estis said. “It was clear that they intended to follow the rules and use them to their advantage, but I doubt how far they were allowed to interpret them.”

“Some of these statements were absolutely appalling because these meetings are open to everyone, including the public, and they don’t take into account that the large number of people who will be attending the meetings, not the audience, are lying,” he said.

LOYOLA NEW ORLEANS LAW STUDENTS JOIN WITH TURNING POINT MEMBERS TO APPEAL ‘SUBJECTIVE’ DEPARTMENT REJECTION

Marquette Hall on the campus of Loyola University in New Orleans. (matejphoto/Getty Images)

Although SGA meetings are open to the public, at least one SGA member requested that the meeting be held without an outside audience, according to Estis.

“At one point before the meeting began, a senator asked if there could be a motion to start the meeting ‘only with undergraduate students in the room,’ and the Vice President responded, ‘unfortunately, our charter does not allow for such authority,'” Estis continued. Estis continued:

Estis said a few protesters held signs outside the campus building where the meeting was held, and more showed up as Turning Point students, about 30 in number, marched to the school’s chapel to pray and debrief after the decision.

He said one sign read “F— TPUSA.”

People hold signs reading “This is Our Milestone” during a memorial service for slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on September 21, 2025. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE CAMPUS RADICALS FROM COAST TO CLOSE

He said protesters chanted slogans about Charlie Kirk, as well as “KKK no USA.”

The school’s SGA caused quite a stir after the department was first rejected on October 15. The Louisiana GOP offered to support students in any way possible during the war. Chairman Derek Babcock said the party would be ready to “right the injustice” if applications were rejected again.

In mid-November, Turning Point students appealed to the school’s review court and won. The court cited subjective and irrelevant objections to the Turning Point section, including deviations from standard SGA voting procedures, as well as fear of student safety and “campus climate.”

But the Loyola student handbook required that the court order be sent to SGA, the institution that rejected the major in the first place.

Estis said there is no further appeal process.

Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, hands out MAGA hats to the public during the TPUSA event in California on May 1, 2025. (Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

“We will move forward despite denials from the outside,” he said.

“In my final opinion, TPUSA or [Students for a Democratic Society] … must be grated [sic] or the denial of RSO status by SGA members who are themselves RSOs,” he said. “This is not right, and we intend to right this wrong by whatever means are both necessary and appropriate.”

Neither Loyola New Orleans nor the SGA responded to a request for comment.