OCPA: Alumni slam OU’s ‘double standard’ on political causes
https://ocpathink.org/post/independent-journalism/alumni-slam-ous-double-standard-on-political-causes
In recent years, officials at the University of Oklahoma have lent their full-throated support to various political causes, including active embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement (despite its association with widespread national violence) and condemnation of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
But following the recent assassination of Christian apologist and conservative activist Charlie Kirk, OU officials have suddenly declared that university officials will remain “reserved” in order to “avoid alienating” anyone.
The university’s response to Kirk’s assassination and the assault on free speech it represents is drawing criticism from both current students and alumni.
“The administration has consistently found its voice when the narrative aligned with progressive causes,” declared a Sept. 19 letter issued by John Kirchhoefer, a Norman graduate of OU law school, and other alumni. “But for victims of violence when the politics are reversed? Silence.”
Double Standard on Political Violence
Kirchhoefer and other OU alumni sent their letter to University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz, Jr., and OU Law School Dean Anna Carpenter.
The alumni who signed the letter said they were “disturbed by the silence from the OU administration in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
“A clear condemnation of politically motivated violence and domestic terrorism, and a call to tone down violent rhetoric, should have been immediate,” Kirchhoefer and other alumni wrote.
Kirk, 31, was assassinated on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, where he was hosting an open-air speaking and debate event. Tyler Robinson, 22, has been arrested and charged with Kirk’s murder.
According to reports, Robinson was engaged in a romantic relationship with a man who identifies as a “transgender woman,” and it appears Robinson targeted Kirk because of Kirk’s views on transgenderism and advocacy for laws that bar men from using women’s bathrooms or participating in women’s sports as “transgender women.”
OU alumni and student leaders say the university’s silence exposes an institutional bias against conservatives and undermines its stated commitment to free speech and equal treatment.
Following Kirk’s death, OU issued a brief statement that was, apparently, not distributed widely and was not attributed to any specific OU official. It simply stated, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic and senseless violence that took the life of Charlie Kirk and unequivocally condemn it. We extend our condolences to his family, friends, and all who are grieving this loss. The safety and security of our campus community is our highest priority, and we continuously review and implement measures to protect everyone who attends our events.”
The statement did not address the growing embrace of “assassination culture” and anti-speech violence on the political left. A recent survey found 42 percent of student respondents at the University of Oklahoma said using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases. That was well above the national average.
That survey also found there are roughly 1.84 liberal students for every one conservative student at OU.
OU’s response to Kirk’s murder was also in sharp contrast to the university’s response to the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis during an arrest.
On May 31, 2020, six days after Floyd’s death, Harroz issued a statement saying, “Ninety-nine years ago today, blood began to flow down Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre ensued, marking one of the most tragic events in the history of our state and nation. And now, nearly a century later, we continue to live with the same violence and vitriol.”
Harroz called for “real, systemic change.”
On April 20, 2021, following the conviction of one of the officers involved in Floyd’s arrest and death, Harroz issued another statement declaring that “our Black community and other members of color” know “and have experienced the sting of racism firsthand.”
OU’s Past Political Statements
In their Sept. 19 letter to OU leaders, Kirchhoefer and other alumni noted that OU officials have repeatedly taken very public stances on political issues in recent years.
They noted that Kathleen Guzman, who was then serving as dean of the OU College of Law, signed a letter, along with other law school deans, denouncing the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. That letter declared the Jan. 6 riot to be “an assault on our democracy and the rule of law” and a “betrayal of the core values that undergird our Constitution.”
“A sustained effort will be necessary to repair and preserve our precious democratic institutions,” the letter signed by Guzman declared.
Kirchhoefer and other alumni also noted that Harroz gave a speech at the 2021 OU law convocation condemning political violence. Guzman also released a letter after George Floyd’s death amid the Black Lives Matter movement. OU law promoted a “March for George Floyd” and posted content associated with the Black Lives Matter movement on social media.
“Equal protection requires equal treatment,” Kirchhoefer wrote. “Equal justice becomes a fantasy when the University’s voice is unequal in calling for it.”
Kirchhoefer and other alumni noted that the OU administration had not issued any statement declaring a no-tolerance policy for those who justify political violence or promote domestic terrorism.
“Why even teach Ethics if the message is that they do not matter when political opinions or religious beliefs differ?” Kirchhoefer asked.
Kirchhoefer noted that Kirk’s assassination and similar acts of domestic terrorism could “just as easily” have occurred at “one of the events organized by conservative and Christian groups on OU’s campus.”
“The same rhetoric used against these groups—accusing students and their speakers of being dangerous, hateful White men, supremacists, Nazis, bigots, fascists, or supporters of war criminals—is the rhetoric that laid the groundwork for this assassination,” the Kirchhoefer letter stated.
Kirchhoefer and other alumni also dismissed arguments that OU officials are now trying to stay politically neutral.
“They didn’t even mention Kirk’s name once. They didn’t even send it to the student body. They only sent it to the executives at TPUSA.” —Jason Jenkins, secretary of the Turning Point USA chapter at OU
“Do not hide behind some new bureaucratic policy that can be used as a cover for what will appear to be—and would be right in assuming so—a double standard and bias,” Kirchhoefer wrote.
On Sept. 25, OU College of Law Dean Anna Carpenter responded, writing that “like you, we at OU condemn the murder of Mr. Kirk and offer our deepest condolences to his grieving family and friends.” The letter also included a “condemnation of violence in all cases.”
Carpenter wrote that the university “mobilized to support those affected, working directly with impacted student organizations, affirming our commitment to student safety and well-being, lowering our flags, and ensuring that student groups could hold uninterrupted vigils on campus.”
Carpenter also wrote that officials at the College of Law “have met with students formally and informally” to offer “steadiness and support in these difficult times.”
Carpenter declared that OU “has been, and always will be, committed to open discourse, civility, and free speech,” but declared that university officials are “more reserved regarding commenting publicly on topics of national political interest to avoid alienating any one student, group or organization.”
However, students say OU officials have done relatively little, especially in contrast to OU officials’ actions regarding prior political events.
TPUSA Members Underwhelmed by OU’s Response
Turning Point USA, the group founded by Kirk, has a student chapter at OU.
On Sept. 10, David Surratt, vice president for student affairs and dean of students at OU, sent an email to OU Turning Point USA leadership, stating, “In light of recent events and the impact they may have on your members, I want to extend our concern and support to the Turning Point USA community at OU. We recognize the moments of national loss and uncertainty can weigh heavily on students, especially when they involve leaders or organizations that hold personal meaning.”
The letter noted that Turning Point was one of “more than 575 registered student organizations” at OU.
“Student affairs stands ready to provide assistance and resources during this time, whether through counseling and wellness services, community support programs, or staff guidance,” Surratt continued.
Jason Jenkins, secretary of the Turning Point chapter at the University of Oklahoma, said the group’s members were underwhelmed.
“They didn’t even mention Kirk’s name once,” Jenkins said. “They didn’t even send it to the student body. They only sent it to the executives at TPUSA. That’s all they sent it to. They didn’t condemn violence against political figures at all. So the people who actually needed to read that never got it. It was just sent to a handful of people. It was just so lukewarm, so wishy-washy. All they did was say, ‘Hey, we’re sorry for your loss, and if you’re having trouble, here’s a few counselors that you can talk to and we’re here to help.’”
He also noted the letter was not from OU President Harroz.
A second conservative student, who asked not to be named, said OU officials indicated they would issue a statement condemning violence, but said there have been no signs of any mass-distributed statement.
“It hasn’t been sent out to my school email,” she said.
Instead, the only statement widely distributed at the school emphasized general security measures.
Kirchhoefer urged other alumni and the families of current students to make their voices heard at OU.
“Many voices, even brief ones, will carry more weight than a single statement,” Kirchhoefer said. “That’s the best way to honor Charlie’s legacy is to stand up and speak with your chest that we will no longer be silent in the face of academia’s institutional bias against conservatives and the entrenched double standards that run cover for the extreme left.”
Ray Carter
Director, Center for Independent Journalism
