Belmont denies membership to 'partisan' new TPUSA chapter, despite having other political groups

A Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee has rejected an application for a new campus chapter of Turning Point USA, claiming that the group is “partisan.”

In an email obtained by the conservative group earlier this month, Belmont University claimed that “Turning Point USA does not satisfy the guidelines and policies for new organizations,” and called it a “partisan national advocacy organization” in a message sent to Mya Conrad, the student who submitted the application.

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TPUSA is a designated 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is “to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government,” according to its website.

All 501(c)(3) are “absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office,” and events like voter education and registration events must be conducted in a non-partisan manner, according to the IRS.

Conrad confirmed with TPUSA that she had described the group as non-partisan in the application, saying, “Belmont was very aware that it was a non-partisan organization … I made [it] clear in a rationale paper I had to write.”

Other active groups on Belmont’s campus appear to be partisan in nature, however, including chapters of both College Democrats and College Republicans.

Several LGBT political organizations also exist, including Belmont Bridge Builders, which “fosters community between all marginalized sexual identities, orientations, and gender identities” by hosting events and discussions. Additionally, the school has an “LGBTQ+ professional development group” called Belmont OUTLaw.

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A school official justified the existence of such groups in an email.

“While there are several active [partisan] groups on campus that may fall within the bounds of this policy, the policy applies only to groups applying to become new or re-activated organizations,” Assistant Director of Student Engagement Jordan Cooper reportedly said to Conrad.

Cooper also noted that TPUSA may fall into the purview of this policy, but that the previous TPUSA chapter had been kicked off campus for having “get-togethers” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conrad pointed out that other clubs had done the same, such as participating in Black Lives Matters protests that violated the school’s policies at the time.

Campus Reform contacted Belmont University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.