September 19, 2025
The Turning Point USA club has been active at J.L. Mann High School for four years.
The Greenville County (SC) NAACP has formally requested an investigation of a meeting held by Turning Point USA at J.L. Mann High School during what the organization said were school hours.
The group is “deeply concerned” over what it describes as a meeting by a political advocacy organization promoting conservative ideology, one often associated with “MAGA rhetoric.”
Turning Point USA was founded by conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot last week at an event in Utah. Greenville County Schools said the Turning Point USA club has been active for four years at J.L. Mann.
The NAACP’s concerns center on whether the meeting’s timing violated policy by impinging on classroom hours or creating pressure for students to attend. The group is asking that the district investigate how and when the meeting was approved, its format, and how students were notified.
According to reporting by KOLR, the NAACP sent the school a letter questioning the circumstances surrounding the meeting.
“Pastors and community leaders have conveyed alarm that this kind of activity can deepen divisions, sow confusion in young minds about civic responsibility versus partisan propaganda and violate the trust we place in public schools to be safe, inclusive spaces,” the statement said.
The Greenville County School District, responding via letter, cited Board Policy JHCA, which governs how student clubs form and meet on campus. The district emphasized that its policy aligns with the federal Equal Access Act.
“Curriculum-related clubs, such as a French Club, may meet during instructional time with principal approval. Non-curriculum-related student-led clubs, including those with political, religious, or philosophical viewpoints, may only meet outside of class time and within what is known as a ‘limited open forum.’ These meetings must be voluntary, student-initiated, not school-sponsored, and do not occur during instructional time (i.e., during a regular class period).”
Student clubs are formed when there is interest from the student body and a faculty member agrees to supervise. Clubs must submit an application and adopt bylaws upon formation. The district noted that supervision by faculty does not necessarily reflect personal beliefs.
Clubs with political or civic themes already exist in the district, including Young Republicans, Young Democrats, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The district described Turning Point USA as one among several similar student-led organizations.
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