Texas State University Expels Student for Mocking Charlie Kirk's Assassination

On Monday, September 15, 2025, at a vigil organized by the local Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter near the university's "Fighting Stallions" statue on the Quad, an anti-Charlie Kirk activist learned a tough lesson: "Actions really do have consequences."

Video footage, first shared on X by user @TexasRepublic71 (TheTexasOne) and viewed over 14 million times, shows a young man, later identified by some online reports as Joshua "Jigaboo Jackson" Hayes from Charlotte, North Carolina, approaching the gathered mourners. Wearing a backpack, he shouts profanities, slaps his neck to mimic the gunshot wound, and yells phrases like "Charlie Kirk got hit in the neck" as he walks away. He then climbs onto the statue base, introduces himself mockingly as "Charlie Kirk," and dramatically falls to the ground, imitating Kirk slumping over after being shot. Witnesses reported him spitting near the group and using a vape pen, which violates campus policy.

The clip quickly spread, drawing widespread condemnation. Conservative commentator Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) reposted it, calling for the university to "expose this entire group of students and expel them all immediately," citing threats to TPUSA members. The post amassed over 21,000 likes and 1.1 million views.

Governor Greg Abbott shared the video on X around 4:50 p.m. ET on September 16, writing: "Hey Texas State. This conduct is not accepted at our schools. Expel this student immediately. Mocking assassination must have consequences."

TXST President Kelly Damphousse responded within hours, stating in an initial post: "Behavior that trivializes or promotes violence is reprehensible and violates the values of Texas State. It will not be tolerated." By Tuesday evening, the university confirmed: "The university has identified the student in the disturbing video from Monday's event. The individual is no longer a student at TXST. I will not tolerate behavior that mocks, trivializes, or promotes violence on our campuses."

Federal privacy laws (FERPA) prevent the release of the student's name or further details on the disciplinary process, but sources indicate the expulsion was immediate and based on violations of the university's code of conduct, including disruption of events and promotion of violence.

This marks the second high-profile expulsion in Texas universities over reactions to Kirk's death. On September 12, 2025, 18-year-old Texas Tech University student Camryn Giselle Booker was arrested for assault after a video showed her taunting mourners at a Lubbock vigil, shouting vulgarities like "F*** your homie dead, he got shot in the head." She was charged with assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest, released on $200 bond, and expelled, with Abbott commenting, "Definitely picked the wrong school to taunt the death of Charlie Kirk."

Conservative voices, including TPUSA, hailed the decision as accountability, with posts like @nicksortor's gaining nearly 100,000 likes: "FAFO, LOSER! Your miserable life just got MUCH more miserable." Critics on the left decry it as overreach, fearing a "consequences culture" stifling dissent.

In a similarly disturbing incident at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, students affiliated with Turning Point USA created a memorial to conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the campus spirit rock during a vigil, following his assassination the previous week. The tribute, which included Kirk's image and messages of remembrance, was defaced overnight and during the day with paint in transgender pride flag colors, including incidents of paint thrown on praying students as captured in social media videos. UNCW officials confirmed the vandalism on September 16, stating they are reviewing the matter under policies supporting free expression while condemning harassment, with no arrests or disciplinary actions announced; the incident echoes similar defacements of Kirk memorials at other locations nationwide.

Kirk's assassination has polarized responses nationwide. While vigils and memorials, such as those at TXST and New College of Florida (which plans a statue in his honor), have drawn supporters, online celebrations have led to firings and investigations. The Texas Education Agency received about 180 reports of educators' posts, resulting in suspensions or terminations.

The expulsions have reignited discussions on free speech limits. Some students, like TXST's Audri Castillo, argued the actions were protected expression: "They have a right... as long as they do not incite violence. Not mock." Others, including Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) attorney Aaron Terrence Shibley, noted that while offensive speech is protected, universities can discipline for disruptions or threats under conduct codes.