'Lit a Fire': TPUSA Chapters Growing in Nebraska Despite Continued Pushback

by Olivia White and Matt Johnson

LINCOLN — In the months following Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Nebraska Turning Point USA chapters have grown in size and numbers despite receiving more pushback than ever.

Nebraska’s first TPUSA chapter started on a college campus, but now, because of a partnership announced by Governor Jim Pillen, TPUSA expects to spread to high schools across the state.

Creighton “Suppression” of Conservatives

Nebraska’s first chapter of Turning Point USA came to Creighton University in 2015, a move that was met with some resistance by the administration.

The chapter was suspended in 2022 and put on probation after announcing it would host an event with conservative influencer Jack Posobiec. Creighton claimed at the time that the event threatened the university’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) sent Creighton a letter telling them that maintaining their tax status “does not require censorship of student political speech by campus administrators.” FIRE, which releases regular college rankings for free speech, gives Creighton an “F” for its efforts at upholding free expression.

“Creighton University continues to serve as a stronghold of insular liberal ideology and aggressive social justice advocacy,” said Malia Shirley, who helped start the chapter. “The administration is all too comfortable with the suppression of conservative activism and the limited open promotion of differing viewpoints on campus.”

Since the 2022 suspension, the chapter went dormant until a few weeks ago, when Emma Smith, a Creighton senior, helped bring the chapter officially back to campus.

“After four years of inactivity and about a year of trying to get the chapter re-chartered, we officially got approved,” Smith told The Plains Sentinel. “We have over 55 members in just under a week of being able to make that announcement to everyone.”

Shirley was glad the Creighton chapter had been reestablished. “I’m deeply encouraged that, even though the administration has shown no greater openness toward conservatives, conservative Creighton students have refused to back down.”

Smith expects to have Governor Jim Pillen as one of its first guest speakers in the coming weeks.

Club America in Every High School

In addition to its chapters on college campuses, a statewide partnership with Turning Point USA (TPUSA) was announced on Tuesday, February 10, by Governor Jim Pillen with the goal of bringing TPUSA Club America chapters to every high school across the state.

TPUSA Founder Charlie Kirk began the organization in 2012 with a mission to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.

There are more than 3,200 chapters across the United States, currently with 13 percent of high schools represented. Twenty-two of those are within Nebraska.

Pillen’s endorsement has raised some concerns on the left, however. Jackson Hatcher, a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, expressed this concern in an editorial in The Daily Nebraskan.

“What is problematic is an explicit endorsement from our governor of an ideological organization,” Hatcher wrote. “It is exactly what many conservatives have been ringing alarm bells about for a decade. Our government is pushing for ideological indoctrination in our schools.”

Tim Royers, the president of the Nebraska State Education Association, also pushed back on the announcement at the time. “Public schools must remain politically neutral environments,” Royers said. “Educators and school leaders have a responsibility to ensure that no political organization is perceived as endorsed by the state or embedded within public school systems in a way that compromises that neutrality.”

Emma Smith disagreed. “Teachers are getting involved in ICE protests. That’s indoctrination,” Stone said. “This is an extracurricular club that people can join on their own if they want to ... They can join if they want to, come to meetings, they can just get on our email list, and things like that. It’s really up to the student on how active they want to be.”

UNO Chapter Growing

The TPUSA chapter at the University of Nebraska Omaha began in September of 2024 and has grown exponentially in the past year.

“Prior to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, we had 25 students in our chapter group chat,” TPUSA UNO Chapter President Jase Maly said. “Following the assassination, that number jumped to over 80. When Charlie was killed, it became very apparent that he had an impact on many more lives than anyone could have guessed.”

When starting their chapter, Maly said they received very little pushback from the university administration; however, they do see quite a bit from other students on campus.

“Since the assassination, I think all of our members are just a bit more vigilant whenever we are representing TPUSA on campus,” Maly said. “As everyone has seen, there are crazy people out there, and we have to be aware of that; but we definitely won’t let that stop us from rising up and making sure our voices are heard.”

Maly said that when Charlie was assassinated, the man responsible had no idea the movement he would create.

“Charlie’s death woke everyone up and lit a fire in people,” Maly said. “Charlie’s mission lives on with students at high schools and colleges across America.”

UNL Chapter “Undeterred” by Pushback

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln also has a chapter. The chapter had been around for a while, but it went through a period of inactivity and was rechartered in February of 2025 by Ethnie Barnhouse, who now serves as the president.

“I have always loved TPUSA’s mission and been a fan of Charlie’s,” Barnhouse said. “Once I realized there was not an active TPUSA chapter on campus, I couldn’t sit back and be apathetic, so I got to work. I am incredibly grateful for TPUSA, the students I work with, and Charlie’s example.”

TPUSA in Lincoln saw similar effects on their chapter as the one in Omaha following Kirk’s death.

“There was a significant increase in curiosity about TPUSA and our chapter after Charlie was assassinated,” Barnhouse said. “For a lot of the students who got involved after the assassination, Charlie’s death was a turning point for them. They saw his life and his death and how bravely he led, and they were inspired to follow in his footsteps.”

While more students got interested, there are also students who strongly disagree with what TPUSA has to say on Lincoln’s campus as well.

“We have excellent students who put in the work to make our chapter successful at UNL, and they are willing to persevere through any difficulties that may arise,” Barnhouse said. “I am grateful to be at UNL, where our rights are respected by members of the school administration. There will always be pushback from students and others on campus who disagree with us and who loudly proclaim how disturbed they are that we exist on campus, but we are undeterred and will stand up for what we believe.”

Barnhouse said they have to consider security more than they used to, but they are also bolder than ever before.

On September 17, the chapter held a vigil for Kirk following his assassination a week earlier. The event was attended by hundreds of students as well as Governor Pillen and Nebraska volleyball middle blocker Rebekah Allick.

“Being a part of TPUSA has become more meaningful and less casual,” Barnhouse said. “If you know that simply being a part of a club might cost you something, you will take it more seriously.”

TPUSA has experienced a 600 percent increase in Nebraska-based chapters since Kirk’s assassination. East High School in Lincoln is one of the schools that has contributed to these statistics, with its club launching in November of 2025. Currently, it is the only high school within the Lincoln Public School System (LPS) to have a TPUSA club.

LPS Executive Director of Communications Mindy Burbach said the club began after following their established process for student clubs, as each high school will need to follow to add TPUSA to their school.

“Each high school would follow the district’s long-established process for the development and operation of student clubs at high schools,” Burbach said. “Board policy 6745 and regulation 6745-1 guide our processes and meet current state and federal laws.”

Governor Pillen said during the time he spent with Kirk, he personally learned Kirk was about faith, family, and bettering our country, and that his ‘why’ was to speak up about what he believed.

“Grassroot politics are at the heart of the American system of government, and I believe the future of our country is stronger when our students know and appreciate American exceptionalism, our constitution, and freedom,” Pillen said.

Erika Kirk has led TPUSA since her husband’s assassination. She said he deeply loved Club America and knew the importance of lifting up the country’s students.

“They’re our future, and we’re going to do everything possible to empower and amplify their voices in Nebraska,” Kirk said. “Through this partnership, we get one step closer to Charlie’s vision of seeing Club America in every high school in the nation.”

— Olivia White is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel. She previously was a staff writer for The Northside Sun.

— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.