Articles
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Higher Education
Violent threats against conservatives growing at OU
Death threats against a visiting pro-Israel speaker have deepened concerns about the climate for free speech at the University of Oklahoma, where nearly half of surveyed students say violence can be justified to silence opposing views.Ray Carter | October 9, 2025
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Higher Education
OSU student reprimanded after honoring Charlie Kirk in speech
Josh Wilson, an Oklahoma State University junior and debate society president, says he was reprimanded and threatened with a “difficult” year by an OSU administrator after delivering a short student-government speech mourning Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.Ray Carter | October 6, 2025
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Higher Education
Alumni slam OU’s ‘double standard’ on political causes
While OU officials embraced the Black Lives Matter movement and loudly condemned the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, they issued only muted, narrowly distributed statements after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.Ray Carter | September 30, 2025
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Higher Education
Higher education has an extremist problem
The murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has spotlighted a troubling trend: fringe-left ideologies nurtured on college campuses are increasingly translating into real-world violence.Jonathan Small | September 29, 2025
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Higher Education
Report undermines claim of Oklahoma college affordability
A new WalletHub report shows that Oklahoma has the 13th-highest level of student debt in the country. Moreover, only four states have a higher share of student-loan balances that are past due or in default than Oklahoma.Ray Carter | September 23, 2025
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Higher Education
Despite state and federal law, OU student group says ‘Crimson & Queens’ drag show to proceed
The University of Oklahoma’s Queer Student Association says its annual Crimson & Queens drag show will proceed. Critics argue that drag performances demean women and could violate Oklahoma or federal law.Ray Carter | September 22, 2025
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Higher Education, Culture & the Family
OU president’s response to Charlie Kirk’s killing contrasts sharply with response to George Floyd’s death
University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz, Jr., who issued strong statements condemning racial violence after George Floyd’s 2020 death and called for “systemic change,” has been far less outspoken following the recent assassination of conservative Christian Charlie Kirk.Ray Carter | September 18, 2025
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Higher Education
In Oklahoma, DEI has yet to die
Despite growing national backlash against discriminatory “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) policies, several Oklahoma institutions remain under scrutiny for illegal and divisive practices.Jonathan Small | September 15, 2025
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Higher Education
Kirk’s death comes as more college students support violence over speech
The assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and outspoken Christian, comes as a record share of college students, including those in Oklahoma, now say violence is an acceptable response to speech with which they disagree.Ray Carter | September 11, 2025
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Higher Education
Students self-censor as OU and OSU fail to make the grade on free speech
Roughly half of surveyed OU and OSU students say they hold their tongues on campus at least monthly, according to a new free-speech report. Both universities received failing grades, with OU earning an “F” and OSU a “D-minus.”Ray Carter | September 10, 2025