A Phoenix-area high school pulled the plug on a planned on-campus appearance by Erika Kirk after a wave of student and parent complaints forced administrators to reconsider hosting the Turning Point USA chief during school hours, according to a new report.
Pinnacle High School principal Jeremy Richards sent families a notice Thursday announcing the event would be relocated off school grounds and pushed to after the final bell, saying the visit had the potential to create serious problems for the school day, The Daily Beast reported Friday.
Kirk took the reins at TPUSA following the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, last year, and has since become a prominent figure in right-wing circles — a fact that didn't sit well with many at the north Phoenix campus.
Students were blunt about their objections.
"It’s a little crazy because I would never have expected someone like her to show up at a high school," one senior said. Another told local news the ideology she promotes had no place in a classroom setting and that the school could find far more appropriate guest speakers.
“I think the topics that she talks about are too extremist for a school. I think there are better representatives we can have,” said Francisco Sanchez, also a senior.
Parents raised their own alarms, with several pointing to the political division Kirk's presence would inevitably import onto campus — along with the heightened security footprint her appearances typically require.
The relocated gathering will be restricted to members of a TPUSA-affiliated student club and a single guest apiece. School officials were careful to note that taxpayer money won't foot the bill, and the visit carries no official district stamp of approval.