Identity of Speakers
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Ken Paxton
Unaffiliated
OtherTexas Attorney General
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Social media
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
University investigation issuing in sanctions
Other
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
In early September 2025, a viral classroom video from the University of North Texas showed students allegedly celebrating the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. One student who spoke out against the celebration was reportedly asked to leave the class.
On September 19, 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a press release demanding answers from UNT. He stated that the university appeared to be punishing the student for voicing opposition to the classroom behavior, called on administrators to investigate students “encouraging illegal political violence,” and urged that faculty or staff who supported or enabled the conduct through viewpoint discrimination be held accountable. Paxton described the incident as one in which the university was “protecting terrorist sympathizers and punished the brave student who stood up to the radical mob.”
On November 11, 2025, Paxton spoke at a Turning Point USA event on the UNT campus, adopting a moderated tone compared with his initial statements. While emphasizing the importance of free speech, he described the classroom celebration as “sickening,” praised the student who spoke out, and focused his criticism on what he called “very liberal” faculty rather than the students involved.
The UNT incident is part of a broader national discussion about how universities address politically charged speech, student activism, and campus safety in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
