This article has been updated since publication.
After opposing in-class celebrations of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, a University of North Texas student says she is being harassed and threatened, and the university police are not protecting her.
On the afternoon of September 18, Mary-Catherine Hallmark was manning a Turning Point USA table on campus in front of the Willis Library.
As a safety precaution, Hallmark said Turning Point had already informed UNT police about the panel. “There should have been a police officer, but there wasn’t,” she said.
She recorded a student collecting materials from the table and tearing them up as he walked away. “You all should burn in hell,” he’s heard saying.
Upon hearing UNT police were not nearby, State Rep. Andy Hopper (R–Decatur) wrote on X that he found it “shocking… given what has transpired.”
After being harassed, the Turning Point group called UNT police. “Then [they] showed up, but they stood 100 yards away,” Hallmark said.
Randee Hallmark, Mary-Catherine’s mother, told Texas Scorecard that online threats had been made against her daughter and Turning Point.
Randee Hallmark said these were made on YikYak, a social media application that allows university students to “anonymously connect.” She added that she has emailed UNT President Harrison Keller multiple times about her concerns. She shared his response. According to Mary-Catherine, the timestamp of this email matches the time of the Turning Point USA event.
Randee Hallmark called her conversation with UNT Chief of Police Ramona Washington “dismissive,” not “productive.” According to Hallmark, Washington said she hand picked the investigator for Mary-Catherine’s situation. Randee Hallmark previously provided a recording of her daughter’s meeting with investigator Sgt. Cody Howell. She said he tried to gaslight—not help—her daughter.
When news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination broke, Mary-Catherine Hallmark confronted a fellow student for celebrating it in class. Mary-Catherine claims she was told to leave class, while the other student faced no consequences. She reports ongoing harassment and dissatisfaction with UNT’s response.
UNT previously stated that “students who violate the law or UNT Code of Student Conduct will be held accountable.” However, Randee Hallmark sent a letter to UNT leadership condemning its inaction against the celebrating student and its failure to protect her daughter. Mary-Catherine believes no investigation is underway.
This contrasts with Texas Tech and Texas State universities, both of which have announced that students on their campuses who engaged in similar reactions to Kirk’s murder were no longer enrolled.
Attorney General Ken Paxton has demanded answers from UNT for “potentially violating” state law. “Instead of addressing the disgusting celebrations of political assassinations, UNT has protected these terrorist sympathizers and punished the brave student who stood up to the radical mob,” said Paxton. “UNT must answer for its apparent negligence.”
Republican State Reps. Andy Hopper, Ben Bumgarner, Richard Hayes, and Mitch Little wrote a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, urging him to “investigate and demand swift action” from UNT.
Neither the University of North Texas nor its parent, the University of North Texas System, replied to a request for comment. The UNT System Board of Regents is appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott and confirmed by the Texas Senate.
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