Two student leaders at Rutgers University are facing removal from their leadership positions within the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) student organization. This development follows their campaign to have a professor, Mark Bray, dismissed due to his public support for Antifa. University officials cite procedural violations for the removal, but the students allege the action is a politically motivated response to their protest.
Key Takeaways
- Student leaders from the Rutgers TPUSA chapter initiated a petition against history professor Mark Bray, citing his pro-Antifa writings and statements.
- Shortly after, a university official recommended the students be removed from their leadership roles due to alleged eligibility violations.
- The students, Ava Kwan and Megyn Doyle, claim the university's action is retaliatory and an unfair application of campus rules.
- The Rutgers University Senate voted 110-4 to support Professor Bray, passing a resolution on academic freedom.
Student Protest Against Professor's Views
The controversy began when Megyn Doyle, the treasurer for the Rutgers TPUSA chapter, and Ava Kwan, the group's outreach coordinator, launched a petition demanding the removal of Mark Bray, an assistant professor of history at the university. Their concerns centered on Bray's published works and public statements, which they argue endorse political violence.
Bray is the author of "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook." In the book, he wrote, "Our goal should be that in twenty years those who voted for Trump are too uncomfortable to share that fact in public. We may not always be able to change someone’s beliefs, but we sure as hell can make it politically, socially, economically, and sometimes physically costly to articulate them."
The students also pointed to more recent statements. In an October 4 post on the social media platform Bluesky, Bray stated, "Only mass antifascism, legal or not, can save us."
Professor Mark Bray's Background
Mark Bray is a historian who specializes in the politics of modern Europe. In addition to his book on Antifa, he has also authored "The Anarchist Inquisition: Assassins, Activists, and Martyrs in Spain and France" and "Translating Anarchy: The Anarchism of Occupy Wall Street." His work and public commentary have made him a prominent, and often controversial, voice on radical left-wing movements.
Kwan and Doyle said they felt Bray's rhetoric created an unsafe environment on campus. "He endorses political violence," Kwan explained. "We don't feel safe on campus with him around. We don't feel safe having him appointed at Rutgers."
University Moves to Oust Student Leaders
Following the petition against Bray, the student leaders received notice that their positions were under review. Karima Woodyard, the director for student involvement and leadership at Rutgers, sent an email stating that Doyle and Kwan should be removed from their officer roles.
The official reason provided was that the students were ineligible to serve as officers for a New Brunswick undergraduate student organization. According to the university, Doyle is a student at a different Rutgers campus, and Kwan is a graduate student.
Allegations of Selective Enforcement
The students contend that their eligibility status was never an issue before their campaign against Professor Bray. "Prior to this whole situation, there was never an issue with Megyn and I's holding of our positions on the executive board," Kwan stated. "This clearly seems like a very politically motivated move and a clear enforcement of procedure, a selective enforcement of procedure."
Doyle shared a similar view, connecting the timing of the university's action directly to their protest. "We have not been notified why we have been investigated all of a sudden and this has only been happening because of opposition towards Mark Bray," she said.
University Senate Backs Professor
While the student leaders faced removal, Professor Bray received strong institutional support. The Rutgers University Senate passed the "Resolution in Support of Academic Freedom and Free Expression" with an overwhelming vote of 110 to 4. This resolution was widely seen as a direct endorsement of Bray's right to express his views.
The vote highlights the central tension in the dispute: the students' safety concerns versus the principle of academic freedom for faculty members. The university has framed its actions regarding the student leaders as a separate, procedural matter.
"Turning Point USA is a recognized student organization on the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University. Like all student organizations, it is expected to operate in compliance with our stated policies and procedures," a Rutgers spokesperson said in a statement. The university confirmed it is working with the chapter to address the "compliance matter."
Professor Relocates Amidst Controversy
In a related development, Professor Bray announced that he was moving his family to Europe, citing "safety reasons." This decision came after the petition against him gained public attention. The students maintain that their goal was to address what they perceive as threatening rhetoric, not to incite harassment.
Kwan, who reported being doxxed on social media platforms like Reddit, emphasized that she supports free speech but draws a line at endorsing violence. "We want to have conversations with people," she said. "However, Mark Bray has taken it a step further."
The students are now calling on other conservative students nationwide to be more vocal. "The only way that you can make a difference is by speaking out," Doyle urged. "Start with a petition, start by addressing these concerns before you have a Rutgers administration like ours trying to take you down."