Conservative politician allegedly punched at UNT event speaks out about the campus mob

Leftist students at the University of North Texas (UNT) loudly heckled at a Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) speaking event about criminalizing child transitioning.

The Mar. 2 event, ”Criminalize Child Transitions”, featured Jeffrey Younger, a candidate for Texas House District 63 in the run-off election. 

Younger opposed the transitioning of his own son and, subsequently, lost custody.

As the event began, a large group of leftist protesters began to shout down Younger by shouting phrases such as “ F*** these fascists.” 

At the University of North Texas in Denton, far-left activists shut down the Young Conservatives of Texas (@YctUnt) event featuring the father who lost custody of his trans child. The radicals pounded on the table & shouted, “F— you, fascist” over & over.pic.twitter.com/QRIAXcWBZK

— Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) March 3, 2022

Younger told Campus Reform that he was punched in the ribs.

Younger stated that he “felt physically threatened” but is “ready for a fight.”

”If they want to have a fight, I’ll fight. This is Texas buddy,” Younger said.

Additionally, the demonstrators were seen climbing on top of tables, arguing, and spitting on Younger. 

[RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Update on assault against conservative at UC-Berkeley]

In response, Younger reportedly stated, “I want to thank you for showing the world what leftist politics really is” before the university police evacuated him after the incident ran for nearly one hour. 

Another angle cc: @kelly_neidert @YctUnt pic.twitter.com/PsUpRvOjcf

— Joshua Medeiros (@JoshMedeirosTX) March 3, 2022

Younger spoke with Campus Reform about the events in further detail. 

“When I realized they were going to shut it down, unlike most speakers who just sort of give up after five minutes, ‘well I can’t speak, let me leave and I’ll go do something more productive,’ not me, buddy,” he stated. “And I wore their a** out after about 40 minutes. They weren’t able to keep yelling, and their hands were hurting from beating on the table, and they started wimping out, and I knew that would happen.”

Younger said that his objective was “to let the world see who our enemies actually are, what they have planned for us, how they are going to treat us. I want everyone to be able to see that.”

After the event was ended by the demonstrators, YCT members were forced to evacuate the building. They were met with, allegedly, hundreds of additional demonstrators who surrounded the building to verbally harass YCT members and Younger. 

Former UNT YCT chapter president Kelly Neidert was evacuated from the event by the UNT Police Department, as well. Neidert was allegedly forced to hide in a janitor’s closet after protesters separated her from the police escort. She remained in the nearby building until it was deemed safe for her to leave. 

Neidert told Campus Reform, “Last night was the first time I’ve genuinely felt scared by these people but I’m still glad we went through with it.”

[RELATED: OP-ED: The Heckler’s Veto is the Poisonous Fruit of the Marketplace of Ideas]

“At that point, the protestors had figured out who I was and at that point, they started screaming my name and more were just mobbing around me and the cops,” she continued. “That’s the point where the two officers I was with put me in a nearby building and I ended up hiding in the janitor’s closet, and that’s when I actually started feeling scared.”

Neidert has repeatedly been the target of leftist students on UNT’s campus.  An October 2021 petition garnered over 18,000 signatures in favor of her expulsion. 

“Even if we can’t get her expelled, it is our hope that this petition will deter anyone from hiring her for a very, very long time,” the petition reads. 

Additionally, Neidert has received multiple death threats from UNT students.

Neidert told Campus Reform that “just because I disagree with [leftists] lifestyles and values and all of that, I actually do not hate them at all. I wish they understood that you do not have to hate everyone who disagrees with you.”

Younger stated that “the institutions of learning in the state of Texas have been captured by the left and turned against the right. There is no concept in that university of a legitimate right-wing discord. It doesn’t exist in our schools anymore.”

“I’d tell every single parent who is conservative that you should never send your kids to these communist factories. They take in the raw product of your student and they spit out communists. If you send your children to these schools, you are abusing your children,” he noted.

When asked what the UNT administration should do in response to the incident, Younger responded:

 “I should be treated with the same respect that faculty are treated when I do presentations. I believe they would expel every one of those students for their behavior if they did that in a classroom and that’s what I expect them to do.” 

Younger then told Campus Reform that, if elected to the Texas House, he would introduce a bill to “allow the state legislature to impeach university presidents if they fail to uphold order on campuses.” 

”I’m going to democratize the schools in this state,” he added. 

Following the event, UNT President Neal Smatresk issued a statement saying that the event “focused on criminalizing healthcare for transgender children” and that “a small group of protestors not affiliated with the university contributed to escalating the overall protest from peaceful to an aggressive encounter.” 

The statement continued, “We have always touted the importance of freedom of expression and been proud of our students’ ability to speak up for themselves and participate in nonviolent protest.” 

Smatresk concluded his thoughts, writing:

“We have always been a passionate community that stands up for our ideals, but last night’s behavior by some individuals is not reflective of the UNT I know and love.”

UNT students planned to walk out of classes on Friday to express their disapproval of Smatresks’ remarks, which students alleged “condone[d] hate speech and ignore[ed] the voices of students.”

Attention UNT students 🗣 We are having a peaceful walk out protest tomorrow. UNT President Neal’s email he sent out today shows he isn’t standing by his students. It is time we stand together against him. pic.twitter.com/auC0q9by3R

— maya (@MayaIsola) March 4, 2022

While the walk-out is said to be peaceful, the flyer orders attendees to “bring noise.”

Campus Reform has reached out to the University of North Texas, UNT YAF, and the UNT Police Department for comment. The story will be updated accordingly.