Kent State chapter of Turning Point to disband
In a tweet Monday, Kent State’s chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA at Kent State) announced it plans to disband.
Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization, saw a rise in publicity over the past year. One event last semester organized in tandem with Young Americans for Liberty received plenty of attention on social media after members of the organizations dressed up as children within a fenced-in area to protest “safe spaces” on campus.
A resignation letter from Kaitlin Bennett, the president of TPUSA at Kent State, was attached to the tweet. The letter, addressed to Frankie O’Laughlin and Alana Mastrangelo, described Bennett’s frustration with those higher up in TPUSA.
Bennett, a senior biology major, became president last semester and was active in expanding the organization since. In the letter, she said she is the organization’s top activist in the country.
“I was embarrassed to have been left alone to deal with the aftermath of the safe space event, and even lied about by Turning Point national,” Bennett wrote in the letter, which was published by Liberty Hangout. “You two approved the event but took zero responsibility to save face for yourselves.”
Bennett’s frustration with the organization has been growing over the past year, according to the letter. The note also details a lack of communication and hesitance in allowing her to organize her own events.
“As of right now, I am in disbelief at how I went from being so upbeat, enthusiastic and passionate about this organization to being disgusted, frustrated and embarrassed to have invested my entire senior year into an organization founded by a college dropout who hires some of the most incompetent, lazy and downright dishonest people I have ever encountered,” Bennett wrote.
TPUSA at Kent State also expressed its opinion of the national organization, tweeting at its founder:
“.@charliekirk11 you should’ve been the one in the diaper.”
Since then, the account has been suspended from Twitter.
Addie Gall is the student politics reporter. Contact her at [email protected].