LTHS Denies Conservative Group's Request

LA GRANGE, IL — In early June, a Lyons Township High School committee denied a request from a national conservative group, Turning Point USA, to be considered an official student club on campus. Its local leader is fighting the decision.

The school's stipend committee said it could not recognize groups that are considered partisan.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained correspondence over the summer between Turning Point's local leader and the school.

In a July 8 email to officials, Leslie Mendoza, an incoming senior at the high school and Turning Point's local chapter president, said the group is a nonprofit that focuses on teaching students about the benefits of the free market, limited government, the principles of freedom and American values in general. She said the group was not allowed to be partisan because of its official tax status as a nonprofit.

"It is our mission at Turning Point USA at Lyons Township to create an environment that will encourage all students to be expressive and strengthen their political ideologies by learning how to effectively communicate their arguments with those who may have distinct opinions," Mendoza said in the email.

Mendoza said a school official later informed the group that it cannot accept a tax-designated nonprofit, known as a 501(c)(3), as a club.

However, she said her group found 10 examples of official clubs listed in the school's directory that are tax-designated nonprofits: Best Buddies, Business Professionals of America, Model UN, Family Career and Community Leaders of America, Relay for Life, Technology Student Association, SAVE Promise Club, National Honor Society, Science Olympiad and Future Healthcare Professionals.

In a June 8 email, Mendoza told school officials that her group accepts students of all viewpoints, regardless of political affiliation.

"At our last discussion of the school year, we had half of the students in attendance that were left leaning and engaged in the discussion," she said. A student who labeled himself as left leaning said that "he was grateful we were able to have a civil conversation; this was common throughout the majority of the meetings we held."

Earlier on June 8, Ed Piotrowski, the human resources director, told Mendoza in an email the group could resubmit a proposal to the committee, saying the school does not accept partisan organizations or those that are partisan in nature.

Turning Point USA, with chapters at high schools and colleges across the country, has been trying to get an official designation at Lyons Township since January.

Patch's document request yielded an email from a parent opposed to making Turning Point an official student club. The parent's name was redacted.

"I have no problem with a conservative student club in any way, but this club is asking to be an official franchise of an organization that functions as a political PAC," the parent said. "The club has already violated TPUSA's own rules by having a candidate speak at their event — which was on LT school grounds without permission — and promoting the candidate's website on their flyers."

The parent presented a flyer advertising a function for Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey to speak on the north campus. Nothing on the flyer indicated it was a Turning Point event. Bailey, a downstate state senator, made headlines last year when he declined to wear a mask during legislative sessions.

If the school approved Turning Point, the parent said it also must allow groups such as Indivisible, Planned Parenthood PAC and Black Lives Matter.

The parent said existing clubs, such as Congressional Debate or Model UN, could accommodate Turning Point members' desires to discuss conservative ideals, First Amendment rights and fiscal ideas.

The high school's emails show that Mendoza and officials have been trying to set up a meeting in recent days.