On March 27, Kyle Rittenhouse will be speaking at an event sponsored by Western Kentucky University's Turning Point USA chapter, a non-profit conservative organization. The event,"The Rittenhouse Recap", will take place at Downing Student Union.
The event has received condemnation from the National Pan-Hellenic Council chapter, which issues a statment saying the event will "promote hate-filled rhetoric and divisive commentary fueled by bigotry and misinformation."
"Kyle Rittenhouse's actions resulted in tragedy, and we refuse to forget that he is a murderer who poses a danger to those seeking truth and justice," the statement disclosed. "The decision to invite him to speak on our campus is not only insensitive but also contradicts the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold."
A petition posted to Change.org is calling upon the university to disband Turning Point USA. It had 2,500 signatures as of Thursday.
"As a student in Western Kentucky, I have always believed that our campus should be a haven of safety and security for all," the petition read. "However, the presence of the Turning Point USA student organization has increasingly made our campus feel unsafe.
"While WKU's commitment to free speech includes allowing groups to invite guests to campus, that does not mean the university supports, endorses or agrees with the views of those individuals," WKU Director of Media Relations Jace Lux told the Daily News in a statement.
Rittenhouse spoke at East Tennessee State University on Feb. 8 and will be at the University of Memphis on March 20.
