Higher Education

OSU keeps employee who confronted conservative student, records show

January 15, 2026

Ray Carter

An Oklahoma State University employee who generated national controversy for reported discrimination against a conservative student remains employed by the university, according to OSU’s response to an open-records request.

Josh Wilson, a junior at Oklahoma State University, was berated by Melisa Echols, who served as OSU’s coordinator of student-government affairs programs, after he spoke out about the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at a Sept. 10 OSU student government meeting, conducted the same day Kirk was killed.

Echols subsequently claimed that a Turning Point USA hat worn by Wilson during his speech violated student government rules on nonpartisanship because the hat referenced President Trump. Echols told Wilson people could be “triggered” by the hat.

When Wilson defended his actions, Echols declared, “‘But’ cannot be the end of every statement. That’s not a learned lesson. It cannot just be, ‘yes, but’—cannot be every response that you give me. Otherwise, this year is going to be difficult for you.”

OSU officials later acknowledged that Echols’ claims about student-government rules were false. The organization has no official policies to restrict partisan expression.

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) was the first entity to report on the incident on Oct. 6 in a story that included recordings of Echols’ comments.

The event drew national publicity, and former OSU students subsequently reported that Echols had a history of hostility towards conservative students.

In response to an open-records request filed by OCPA, OSU officials report that Echols remains employed at the university as a student-activities officer at a salary of $47,955.

Echols’ email is still listed in the contact information for the Student Government Association on the OSU website.

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