For a greater Loyola | Vol. 105 | Issue 10 | Loyola University New Orleans | Since 1923 | Oct. 31, 2025 | loyolamaroon.com
Loyola faces backlash after SGA denies TPUSA charter
By Eloise Pickering and Alana Frank anfrank@my.loyno.edu ewpicker@my.loyno.edu
What started as a campus decision quickly turned into a statewide debate and gained local and national news attention after Loyola confirmed that its Student Government Association denied Turning Point USA’s application to become a chartered student organization. Shortly after Fox News covered the story, the university said SGA “leads a peer-to-peer process for recognizing new student organizations” and confirmed that Turning Point USA’s application “was not approved.” Loyola added that student leaders of the group were
informed of their right to appeal the decision. The story gained wider attention after Fox News cited reporting from The Maroon, which first reported the denial following the Oct. 15 SGA Senate meeting. Fox News later published its own story about the decision, prompting responses from state officials, including Louisiana governor Jeff Landry. Landry posted on social media Tuesday, criticizing the university’s handling of the application. Sharing a highlighted portion of Loyola’s mission statement that reads, “Loyola University New Orleans… welcomes students of diverse backgrounds,” Landry wrote in the caption: Both SGA and Loyola’s administra-
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tion didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. “Hmmm… so much for welcoming students with diverse backgrounds, @ loyola_nola. I’ll be taking a look at this to ensure all voices are heard on campuses across Louisiana!” The governor’s comments came less than 24 hours after national coverage surfaced. TPUSA at Loyola responded to the denial in a lengthy Instagram post, sharing details from its SGA presentation and emphasizing its alignment with Jesuit values of “faith and justice.” “Here is the long-overdue debrief of what really happened in the room before SGA,” the post said. “We began the meeting by presenting who we are, what
we stand for, and why we are pursuing a charter on campus.” According to the post, senators asked how the group would “assimilate into campus life, given Loyola’s diverse environment of students and faculty from all backgrounds.” The chapter stated that its goal is to “offer a space where our faith can be shared and where students are welcomed to engage in open and sometimes polarizing conversations without fear of being ‘cancelled.’” TPUSA also claimed that another student organization protested during the SGA deliberations on Oct. 15. “Members of this opposing group had the opportunity to speak against us, sharing their concerns about TPUSA as
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an organization and our request to be chartered,” the group wrote. The post concluded that the chapter plans to move forward with an appeal. “Our work doesn’t stop here,” they said. “We will continue to advocate for the approval of this organization and stand firm in our commitment to free expression and student representation.” This is a developing story. Follow The Maroon for continued coverage.
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