In a recent wave of controversy, Louisiana’s political scene is ablaze following Republican Governor Jeff Landry’s suggestion to honor conservative figure Charlie Kirk with a statue at the state’s largest educational institution. This proposal has sparked a heated response, especially from academic circles.
During a video shared on social media, Governor Landry, speaking from the Louisiana State University (LSU) campus, challenged the university’s board of supervisors to dedicate a statue to Kirk as a symbol of free speech advocacy on college campuses. “We’re gonna put a challenge out to the LSU board of supervisors to find a place to put a statue of Charlie Kirk to defend freedom of speech on college campuses,” he declared.
The push for this tribute came during Landry’s appearance at a rally organized by the university’s Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter. The event, attended by an audience exceeding 1,500 people, also hosted conservative author and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey as a speaker. Landry urged attendees, “Come on ladies and gentlemen, let’s see if we can be the first campus to do it.”
However, the proposal has not been well-received by everyone. Robert Mann, a professor emeritus at LSU, became vocal about his opposition on Bluesky. He harshly criticized the idea, comparing Kirk to notorious figures like David Duke, the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan, and expressing his belief that such a move would be inappropriate.
This incident underscores the ongoing tension between political figures and academic institutions when it comes to defining and defending free speech on campuses. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how LSU and its administration will respond to the governor’s provocative suggestion.
A professor emeritus at LSU, Robert Mann, took to Bluesky to accuse Kirk of racism and express his displeasure with Landry’s call.
“If Jeff Landry wants a statue of a white nationalist on the LSU campus, it shouldn’t be Charlie Kirk,” he said in a post. “Shouldn’t he be honoring our home-grown racists, like David Duke (who actually went to LSU)?”
Mann retired in 2024, but still has an active profile on LSU’s website. He published a book through LSU Press this year.
An associate professor of environmental sciences at Tulane University in New Orleans, Nicole Gasparini, also slammed Landry’s proposal on the left-wing social media app.
Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. (Kruck20/iStock)
“Sooo my governor wants LSU to put up a statue of someone who created an organization with the *specific goal* of targeting and harassing professors,” she said.
Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, was assassinated at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 while debating with students during the first stop on his “American Comeback Tour.”
Elsewhere in Louisiana, a newly-formed Turning Point chapter at Loyola University New Orleans was barred by the school’s student government association from becoming an official campus club, denying them the opportunity for campus funding and to use campus resources, like reserving rooms at the school.
Citing Kirk’s opposition to gay marriage and transgenderism, one student said TPUSA’s values didn’t align with those of the Jesuit Catholic school. Another student accused Kirk of bigotry against Hispanics.
The school told Fox News Digital that the TPUSA organizers have some recourse.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event in Utah. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via Reuters)
“Student leaders of the proposed organization have been notified of their right to appeal the decision through the SGA Court of Review, as outlined in Loyola’s Student Organization Handbook,” the school said.
“Loyola will continue to support the student-led process as it moves through its next steps.”
Mann and Gasparini did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did their respective universities.
