Enrollment at the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, remains stagnant as students express fear of retaliation and threats, according to chapter leaders and local supporters. This situation comes nearly a year after the campus group's registration ignited significant backlash.
"It's definitely been flat, I would say," Rachel Cook, vice president of the Fort Lewis College chapter, told Fox News Digital. Cook's assessment follows intense turmoil on campus after the student government's decision to recognize the chapter.
In one incident captured on video, a student was detained by campus police after striking David Peters, a 66-year-old local resident and former chair of the La Plata County GOP, with a Taco Bell cup outside the student senate chambers. Peters, a retired Chevron executive, stated that the group's membership has been "essentially flat" because many students are reluctant to join for fear of retribution. "And their fears are well-founded. There have been some members who have received anonymous death threats," Peters said.
Cook echoed these safety concerns, noting that students have voiced hesitancy to join due to personal safety worries and that several officers have experienced harassment and threats.
The tensions at Fort Lewis College occurred against a backdrop of increased interest in TPUSA chapters nationwide. Following the assassination of TPUSA co-founder Charlie Kirk in September 2025, the organization reported receiving over 120,000 inquiries from students interested in establishing local chapters.
At Fort Lewis College, the effort to establish a campus presence was led by then-senior Jonah Flynn. Although the Associated Students of Fort Lewis College (ASFLC) initially rejected Flynn's proposal, the student government eventually reversed its decision and approved the group during an emergency session. The vote led to immediate outcry from anti-TPUSA spectators gathered outside the meeting room.
According to a Fort Lewis College campus police report, approximately 70 people attended the contentious meeting. As attendees exited into the lobby, an altercation ensued between individuals with opposing viewpoints. The police report details that Peters approached a student who was "booing and yelling" and holding a phone to record. The student, identified in police records as Megan Elizabeth Hope Mollett, who uses they/them pronouns, struck Peters' phone and hand with an empty Taco Bell cup. Officers intervened, separating the individuals and detaining Mollett. While the incident was classified as harassment, Mollett was released with a warning after Peters declined to press criminal charges, though he requested that the university pursue internal disciplinary action.
Reflecting on the aftermath nearly a year later, Peters described the campus climate as remaining hostile. During the same post-vote protest, David Kozak, a former anthropology professor at the college, was recorded shouting derogatory remarks at TPUSA supporters, including "Go on, fascists" and "Go on, Nazi lovers." A spokesperson for Fort Lewis College confirmed that Kozak has since retired from the university.
The ongoing hostility comes amid growing national concerns about political violence, particularly following Kirk's assassination. Authorities cited political motivation in that shooting, pointing to evidence such as ammunition allegedly engraved with political slogans, underscoring worries about inflammatory rhetoric manifesting into real-world actions.
Fort Lewis College did not respond to requests for comment regarding the claims made by Cook and Peters.