Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday sent a letter to Barry University School of Law warning that the institution is in violation of the state’s consumer protection laws over its refusal to recognize a student chapter of Turning Point USA.
In his letter, Uthmeier said that due to the Miami-area university’s affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church and its claims in the student handbook, declining to recognize the TPUSA chapter violates Florida law.
“Law schools in Florida — even private ones — cannot tout on one hand that they guarantee a right of free expression and association and then on the other discriminate against students for exercising those rights,” Uthmeier said.
The dispute centers on students at Barry University’s law school in Orlando who sought to establish a chapter of TPUSA, a nonprofit organization founded by the late free speech activist Charlie Kirk.
According to Uthmeier, the college dean’s office said the organization emphasizes “a model of political advocacy and confrontation that is inconsistent with the University’s educational philosophy.”
Uthmeier noted that the school recognizes OUTLaw, an LGBT organization that “promotes transgenderism for children through the sort of ideological confrontation and activism for which Barry Law condemns TPUSA.”
Additionally, the Sunshine State’s top lawyer referred to the student handbook, which states that the student relationship with the university is “one of contract,” and students are guaranteed a right to freedom of expression.
He also emphasized the school’s recognition of LGBT organizations is in direct conflict with Catholic teachings and that barring a TPUSA chapter is “simply a pretext for censoring religiously conservative students.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, a spokesperson for the university said officials are “in receipt of the Florida Attorney General’s letter and are looking into the concerns that were raised.”
TPUSA, known for open dialogues intended to promote free speech, was founded in 2012 and has expanded to hundreds of campuses nationwide. Kirk, 31, was shot and killed while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in September 2025.
Uthmeier has given Barry University until May 15 to respond — failing to do so could result in legal action.
FAITH, FREE SPEECH, AND FIRE: KIRK AND LEAVITT KICK OFF TPUSA COLLEGE TOUR
“Good sense should dictate the correct decision here,” Uthmeier said. “Failing that, however, the school’s contractual obligations and the state’s consumer protection laws demand it.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to Uthmeier for comment.