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Oklahoma State University – Young America’s Foundation

November 2025
Oklahoma State University (Public college or university)
Stillwater, OK

Identity of Speakers

  • Young America’s Foundation chapter at Oklahoma State University
    Student
    Other

    Student organization that promotes conservative principles and engages in campus outreach and advocacy.

Resources

Additional Information

  • Incident Nature:
    Recognized student group event
    Other
  • Incident Political Orientation:
    Right wing
  • Incident Responses:
    Campus police
  • Incident Status:
    No litigation
  • Did not involve Speech Codes

Summary

On November 4, 2025, members of the Young America’s Foundation (YAF) chapter at Oklahoma State University (OSU) reported multiple incidents of harassment and vandalism at their campus outreach table. The students, including YAF Chairman Thomas Hatfield and Vice Chairman Caleb Buxton, said an individual approached their table four separate times during the day, taking and discarding flyers, stickers, and pins. According to the students, the individual called them “fascists,” said that “fascists don’t have rights,” and at one point told them to “fuck off” while destroying their materials.

The incidents were captured on video and shared by the YAF members, who said the repeated confrontations interfered with their ability to engage with other students. The chapter characterized the conduct as targeted and intentional, arguing that the individual repeatedly returned to the table despite requests to stop. Following the incident, the students filed a police report, and OSU confirmed that campus police investigated the matter. The university stated that it “supports the rights of student groups to express their opinions and speak freely,” and said its student conduct team was involved in reviewing potential violations of the student code of conduct.

The YAF chapter also called on OSU to adopt the organization’s “Contract for Safe Campus Dialogue,” which seeks to establish protections for campus expression regardless of political viewpoint. The complaint later became part of a broader review by the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee, a state advisory body created to examine alleged campus free speech violations. In June 2026, the committee reviewed multiple complaints involving Oklahoma’s public universities, including the OSU complaint arising from the YAF incident. The committee noted that it did not have authority to adjudicate individual claims but could issue recommendations to universities.

Following its review, the committee approved recommendations related to OSU’s handling of free speech concerns, including continued free speech training for staff working with the Student Government Association and consideration of expanding training to faculty and staff who regularly interact with students.