Jocelyn Jordan, a student at Beloit College in Wisconsin, faced a chilling reality: a determined effort to silence conservative voices on campus. Her attempt to establish a chapter of Turning Point USA, a student organization, was met not with academic debate, but with obstruction and escalating hostility.
The initial hurdle was finding a faculty advisor – a standard requirement for starting a club. Yet, every professor approached, including the dean of students, refused to lend their support. Jordan was subtly advised to create a group divorced from the nationally recognized Turning Point USA name, a suggestion that felt like a pre-emptive rejection.
As the students began promoting their fledgling club online, a disturbing campaign of harassment erupted. Their new Instagram page was flooded with venomous imagery, falsely labeling them as Nazis, members of the Ku Klux Klan, and white supremacists. The attacks quickly moved beyond hateful rhetoric and descended into direct threats.
Initially, the university’s response was disheartening. Concerns about the harassment were dismissed, with administrators claiming they couldn’t identify the perpetrators. It wasn’t until a police report was filed, prompted by the escalating threats, that the college took action, banning a former student working on campus who was identified as a key instigator.
“As a student, I should feel comfortable on campus regardless of my beliefs,” Jordan stated, her voice reflecting a deep sense of unease. “The three and a half weeks it took for the college to even acknowledge the situation doesn’t inspire confidence in how this will ultimately be resolved.”
The college eventually issued a campus-wide email addressing the situation, but Jordan described it as “vague” and arriving far too late. The email reiterated the student handbook’s prohibition of social media harassment and urged students to “be kind to one another,” a sentiment that felt hollow after weeks of unchecked abuse.
The online attacks were particularly vicious. Photoshopped images depicted Jordan and her co-founders alongside images of coffins and crosses, accompanied by hateful captions like "#bullythebigots." Direct messages mocked their inability to secure a faculty advisor and accused them of invoking fear within the community.
Jordan detailed the relentless barrage of negativity, recounting how their first post garnered over 75 comments, the vast majority filled with hateful and personal attacks. Even her physical appearance – her blonde hair and blue eyes – became targets of ridicule.
The situation escalated further with explicit threats. One comment chillingly stated, “The lack of accountability is showing, but the lack of consequences won’t be.” Another post ominously declared, “The day a white supremacist Nazi tries me is the day I'll get to prove why burying authoritarians is a family legacy.”
Despite the intimidation and hostility, Jordan and her classmates remain resolute. They continue to seek a faculty advisor, determined to establish a fully functioning Turning Point USA chapter on campus and ensure that diverse perspectives are welcomed, not silenced.
The college maintains its commitment to fostering respectful dialogue and insists it is not obstructing the students’ efforts, emphasizing that all clubs must adhere to the same requirements. They confirmed an investigation led to one individual being banned from campus and reiterated their expectation of compassion and respect within the community.
However, for Jordan, the experience has left a lasting mark. The fight for a voice on campus has become a struggle for basic safety and the right to express beliefs without fear of harassment or retribution.
