TPUSA group faces pushback over Maryland high school event, CPS notified

A student group affiliated with Turning Point USA is facing criticism for hosting an event at a Maryland high school in December, with one woman claiming Child Protective Services was notified.

A local community member, identified as Nancy, expressed “serious concerns” about the December TPUSA-affiliated event during a Feb. 12 board meeting. The woman spoke after a high school student who is president of the Calvert County Club America.

This student said his group placed restrictions on the event after receiving “hate” online, including restricting access to adults they did not know and who were not volunteers or relatives of participants. He also said that all students present had parental permission.

“We’ve been accused of a lot of things. We’ve been accused of grooming children…an allegation that an unnamed man was president of our group and had some criminal charges. I’m the president of the group. I’m 17, I’m a minor. I can’t groom children because I’m a child. I don’t have any felony charges or convictions,” the student said, adding an invitation to discuss possible issues.

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A woman identified as “Nancy” speaks at a Maryland school board meeting. (Calvert County, Maryland)

The student clarified that CCCA is affiliated with TPUSA but is its own 501(c)(3) organization and is not part of the state’s public school system.

Nancy then spoke, bringing up her issues with the TPUSA event.

“While community building opportunities for students are important, this event raises serious concerns related to student safety, parental rights and governance oversight,” the woman said, claiming that parents and legal guardians were not allowed to attend the event.

“Excluding parents and guardians from a student event creates a lack of transparency and undermines established best practices for youth safety,” she continued, adding that such events should be subject to oversight and background checks.

“Students are widely recognized as a vulnerable population, they are at critical developmental stages and are particularly susceptible to influence,” she added.

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“All Board of Education members in this room are reporters mandated by state law, like myself. Based on the circumstances surrounding this event, a report was made to Child Protective Services,” the woman added in concluding her speech.

People pray during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025, Dec. 18, 2025, in Phoenix. (Jon Cherry/AP)

The controversy surrounding the event comes as TPUSA continues to grow its influence on high school and college campuses across the country since the assassination of the group’s founder, Charlie Kirk.

His wife, Erika Kirk, told Fox News’ Shannon Bream in December that the organization intended to resume its normal presence on college campuses in particular.

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“We are not afraid,” she said, adding that the TPUSA team will continue to host “Prove Me Wrong” style debates as part of its outreach activities on campus.

Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, speaks at Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest event in Phoenix, Arizona on December 18, 2025. (Jamie Vera/Fox News)

Charlie Kirk was murdered during an outdoor event Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University. The rally marked the first stop on TPUSA’s planned American Comeback Tour, and at first nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

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The charismatic TPUSA founder rose to prominence through his iconic political debates on college campuses. Moments before the fatal shooting, he sat under a white tent emblazoned with the slogan “Prove Me Wrong,” answering open-mic questions from thousands in attendance.

Amanda Macias of Fox News contributed to this report.