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Student group says school barred meetings over Second Amendment poster; cites Equal Access Act
Summary
A student representative of Turning Point USA told the Churchill County School Board that the club was barred from campus after displaying a Second Amendment-themed poster and asked the board to restore access, citing federal law and Supreme Court precedent.
James Hines, vice president of Turning Point USA at Churchill County High School, told the Churchill County School Board that the club’s president was informed on March 13, 2025, that the group “can no longer meet on campus.” Hines said the stated reason was a Second Amendment-themed poster but that the club received “no written explanation and no reference to any specific policy violation.”
Hines said the decision appeared to be based on the content of the group’s message rather than any rule the club had violated. “This action directly contradicts the Equal Access Act,” Hines said, naming the 1984 federal law that governs access for student groups at federally funded secondary schools. He also cited the U.S. Supreme Court cases Westside Community Schools v. Mergens (1990) and Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) as precedent protecting student speech, and asked the board to review the decision and restore the club’s ability to meet on campus.
Board members did not take action during public comment. The district did not provide a written explanation in the meeting packet or on the record for the campus restriction; Hines said none had been provided to the club. No district official publicly responded with a formal finding or policy citation during the meeting.
