UVU faces uproar over commencement speaker who criticized Charlie Kirk after his murder
Utah Valley University Turning Point USA chapter president Caleb Chilcutt and Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz join Fox & Friends to discuss the school’s selection of author Sharon McMahon as commencement speaker.
Utah Valley University (UVU) announced on Thursday that author and educator Sharon McMahon will no longer serve as its commencement speaker after widespread backlash to her past comments about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, following his assassination on the same campus.
"Due to increased safety concerns related to the speaker and in consultation with public safety professionals and Sharon McMahon, Utah Valley University has decided to proceed without a featured commencement speaker for this year’s ceremony," the school announced.
Days after Kirk was killed, McMahon wrote on X, "Millions of people feel they were harmed, and the murder that was horrific and should never have happened does not magically erase what was said or done."
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Charlie Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
"To many Americans, especially if you are Black, LGBTQ or Muslim, Charlie Kirk was not a person who simply engaged in good-faith debates on college campuses."
Kirk was killed after being shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. The 31-year-old was participating in a public speaking event sponsored by the campus chapter of Turning Point at the time of his assassination.
The school selecting McMahon as commencement speaker months after the killing emerged as a polarizing issue, with ex-Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz calling it a "horrific choice."
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Sharon McMahon attends a discussion of her book "The Small and the Mighty" at 92NY on September 25, 2024 in New York City.
Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet was "shocked and disappointed" that the school selected McMahon.
"I just felt it was in really bad taste," Kolvet told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, before McMahon's speech was canceled.
"It feels cold-hearted," he continued. "It feels unnecessary, and I really hope that they change course, change direction and pick somebody more suitable for the time."
Kolvet called it "really disrespectful" to students who are still grieving the loss of Kirk, and to others who are "traumatized" by the horrific killing.
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Turning Point USA chapter president at Utah Valley University Caleb Chilcutt called the selection of McMahon a "slap to the face" Monday on "Fox & Friends."
Tyler Robinson, a Utah man, was arrested on suspicion of killing Kirk and faces seven charges, including aggravated murder. He faces the death penalty if convicted.
This is a developing story, more to come…
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Fox News Digital’s Max Bacall and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
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