Oklahoma student says he was scolded by university staff after wearing Trump hat during Charlie Kirk tribute

An Oklahoma State University student leader says he was reprimanded by a university employee after delivering a speech honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Josh Wilson, a junior who serves in the Senate for OSU’s Student Government Association (SGA), spoke during a Sept. 10 SGA meeting, shortly after Turning Point USA founder was shot and killed in Utah. According to comments first reported by conservative think tank the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA), Wilson acknowledged Kirk’s impact on campus debate and free speech.

Wilson, who also serves as president of the OSU Debate Society and previously volunteered with Turning Point USA, said Kirk’s visit to campus in April “provoke[d] discussion and dialogue among countless students on this campus” and students were engaging in conversations about culture and politics “like never before.”

During the Sept. 10 meeting, Wilson described Kirk as “a father, a husband, a devout Christian, and a shining light for so many,” and urged students to “carry forward his legacy by refusing to shy away from difficult conversations, by standing firm in our convictions, and by remembering that true progress begins with dialogue.”

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Wilson said he wore a Turning Point USA hat that Kirk had given him during his April visit to his campus. The hat displayed the numbers “45” and “47,” a reference to President Donald Trump.

According to the report, Wilson did not mention Trump or endorse a political party or candidate for election during his speech.

He told Fox News Digital that the speech was well received, with students applauding and several reaching out afterward to express their appreciation for his remarks.

The following week, Wilson said he was called into a meeting with Melisa Echols, OSU’s coordinator of student government programs. According to OCPA, Echols told him the hat violated student government’s nonpartisan rules and that some people could be “triggered” by it.

“As a person who doesn’t look like you and has not had the same lived experience as you, I have family who don’t look like you who are triggered — and I will be very candid with you — who are triggered by those hats and by that side,” Echols said, according to OCPA’s report and an audio recording it obtained.

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An Oklahoma State staff employee reportedly told a student leader his pro-Trump hat during a Charlie Kirk tribute was partisan and could “trigger” others. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

She added, “I would challenge you to ask others who don’t look like you” and “have open conversations with anyone that has a different lived experience and see what, if anything, that might do for someone else, aside from someone who is politically aligned the same as you.”

Wilson said that he reminded Echols he has Cherokee heritage and regularly interacts with people from diverse backgrounds.

“I don’t like to pull that card,” he told the OCPA, “but if you’re going to pull that card on me, I might as well.”

Wilson told Echols that he didn’t believe it was harmful or partisan given the context of his speech. He said that he was standing up for freedom of expression on campus.

“Any student in general should have the liberty and not show any fear of expressing their thoughts and ideas,” he told Echols, according to the report. “[I]dea and conversation is what built this country, and it’s what should maintain it. And that’s what the hat was there for.”

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According to the recording, Echols rejected Wilson’s argument, telling him, “‘But’ cannot be the end of every statement. That’s not a learned lesson. It cannot just be, ‘yes, but’ — cannot be every response that you give me. Otherwise, this year is going to be difficult for you.”

Wilson told OCPA he viewed that remark as “a veiled threat.”

Echols did not respond to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment.

Wilson told Fox News Digital he hopes students will feel comfortable expressing their views openly on campus without fear of backlash.

“I just hope that in and outside of student government, our community can come together and just discuss things again, instead of feeling threatened by one another… like Charlie’s mission was set out to do,” he said.

Oklahoma State University Vice President of Student Affairs Brent Marsh issued the following statement emphasizing the school’s commitment to free expression.

“The position of Oklahoma State University on freedom of speech is unchanged and crystal clear: All OSU students have the right to speak their minds on all of our campuses,” the statement began.

“Our Student Government Association is a democratically elected body where students represent their peers, share their ideas, debate proposals and work toward solutions. That process only works when every voice can be heard without fear or restriction. Protecting free expression is fundamental to who we are as a university. The student who recently raised concerns exercised these very rights when he, along with another senator, shared their personal thoughts during the September SGA meeting, which occurred on the same day as the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. These senators spoke without interruption, just as it should be.”

“All staff charged with supporting student groups have received direct clarification about our policies and our unwavering commitment to free speech and our expectation that every student can fully express themselves.”

Kirk, 31, had just launched his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 and was answering questions when he was shot and killed. A suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested for the murder last month.

Kirk’s assassination has sparked a renewed interest in campus debate, with Turning Point USA saying it has received more than 120,000 new chapter requests.