Allison Spillman is a member of the Albemarle County Board of Education and the parent of a transgender student. She also became a target of right-wing trolls after posing the question: Would Turning Point invite members of the KKK to speak?
"I did make a Facebook post on my personal and private account," she recalled tearfully during a board meeting. "I expressed my concern about a speaker invited to Albemarle High School and within hours someone screen shot my post and shared it with media and some political organizations. What followed was a coordinated campaign of harassment and intimidation, and it was terrifying."
Even during the board’s meeting, some speakers called on her to resign. Dana Langley noted the founder of Turning Point USA, was a Christian.
“I think the devil has overplayed his hand," she said. "I pray that tens of thousands of young people will pick up Charlie's banner, courageously speak truth in a culture that tries to deny God’s truth. At this time, I'd like to offer a prayer of gratitude for the school board. Heavenly Father, we lift up our school board members to you tonight. Thank you for calling them to serve and for the commitment."
Parent Tavis Coffin also defended the Turning Point Club, insisting its members might disagree with fellow students but were not guilty of hate.
“Believing in traditional gender roles or holding religious convictions about sex and identity is not hate speech," he said. "If we continue to start labeling every traditional viewpoint as dangerous or extreme, where does that leave the thousands of students in churches across this country who also hold these same beliefs? Are they also to be considered. extremist."
The superintendent and two board members said their hands were tied — that the Supreme Court had staunchly protected free speech in schools, but the board may now have found a solution, voting not to allow outside speakers during the day. Instead, any student group can now organize programs in the evening."
Liberal students at Western Albemarle High School or WAHS promptly signed up to host a gathering.
“Welcome everyone," said the evening's first speaker. "We are WAHS Dream for America, and we’re so excited to be hosting this event.”
Dream for America is a youth organization founded by William He – a student at the University of Texas.
"The right has spent billions of dollars contacting young people, and I thought in 2023, ‘If we don’t do something about this, they are going to set our generation off in the wrong direction, and when it’s our turn to lead we’re going to inherit a country that I don’t want to see," he told the crowd.
Western Albemarle became the first high school chapter of Dream for America, and co-founder Julian Stahelin addressed about 70 people who came to the first meeting.
"I believe that we are building a movement — not a movement where people sit and complain but a movement where a generation of young people who are so furious about what is happening that they mobilize and change it."
Co-founder Ike Noth said he was not concerned about threats from conservatives who claimed they might sue over the new schedule.
"I don’t think that the school policy breaks any constitutional rules at all. The environment that is being talked about right now is not who our school is, and it's important for people to know that we are a school open to the community, and we're not here to make people uncomfortable."
He maintained from the start that Turning Point meetings that drew as many as 700 people had more to do with free pizza than politics, and that many students came to confront speakers who didn’t share their beliefs. Nevertheless, Dream for America followed suit – offering slices of cheese and peperoni, donuts and soft drinks to those who attended their event.
