Gov. Jim Pillen’s partnership with conservative group raises questions about political neutrality in public schools

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced a controversial partnership with Turning Point USA on Monday to expand the conservative organization’s Club America chapters into every public high school across the state. The initiative, unveiled at the governor’s mansion, aims to boost civic engagement and protect student speech rights—but critics warn it blurs the line between government and partisan politics in public schools. As Nebraska joins five other Republican-led states in similar partnerships, educators, parents, and legal experts are asking: Should governors be promoting specific political organizations in taxpayer-funded schools?

What Is Turning Point USA’s Club America?

Turning Point USA, founded by the late Charlie Kirk, is a national conservative organization that has expanded from college campuses into high schools through its “Club America” program. Kirk, who was assassinated in September 2025 while speaking at Utah Valley University, built TPUSA into a powerful force in conservative youth politics and was a close ally of President Donald Trump.

According to official announcements, the partnership will work to establish TPUSA chapters in all Nebraska high schools. Currently, 22 Nebraska high schools have Club America chapters, with TPUSA Club America Enterprise Director Nick Cocca stating the goal is to double that number statewide.

“It’s responding to students that want to get involved,” Cocca told reporters. “We have hundreds of students that reach out every day so we want to help as many of those students as possible.”

The Governor’s Role Remains Unclear

Despite the high-profile announcement, Gov. Pillen refused to take questions from reporters, leaving critical details about the partnership undefined. Key unanswered questions include:

• What specific role will the governor’s office play in promoting these clubs?
• Will state resources be used to support TPUSA expansion?
• How will the state respond to administrators who block or delay club formation?

Pillen’s office later clarified that the initiative is “not intended to be a requirement and won’t come at any added cost to the state.” Students interested in starting chapters can fill out a charter form online, and a field representative will help them get recognized by their school.

“Charlie inspired me,” Pillen said during the announcement. “Charlie’s vision has inspired countless Americans to simply just stand up and talk about faith, talk about our family, talk about our love of country, talk about our values. I don’t see anything political about that, I see it as right and wrong, God and Satan.”

Legal Framework: The Equal Access Act

The legal foundation for student political clubs rests on the Equal Access Act of 1984, a federal law that requires public secondary schools receiving federal funding to provide equal access to extracurricular student clubs. The law was originally passed to protect student religious groups but applies broadly to prevent discrimination based on “religious, political, philosophical, or other content of speech.”

Under the Equal Access Act, schools that allow any non-curriculum-related student clubs to meet must allow all such clubs equal access to:

• Meeting spaces
• School publications
• Bulletin boards
• Public address systems

The law prohibits what courts call “viewpoint discrimination”—treating clubs differently based on their political or religious perspectives.

TPUSA argues that some Nebraska schools have already tried to delay Club America chapters, though Cocca wouldn’t specify which schools. “Partnering with state administrations tends to eliminate any roadblocks,” he explained.

Educators Raise Neutrality Concerns

The Nebraska State Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, issued a statement expressing concern about government involvement in promoting specific student organizations.

“There is a clear and important distinction between clubs that are initiated by students based on genuine interest and a statewide initiative directed by the governor’s office,” NSEA President Tim Royers said. “Decisions about student activities are best made locally by school boards, administrators, educators, parents and students—not through a statewide mandate.”

The NSEA emphasized that while it supports students’ constitutional rights to form non-curriculum clubs, “public schools must remain politically neutral environments.”

State Senator Danielle Conrad echoed these concerns, telling reporters that Pillen is “just generally more interested in kind of catering to a far-right Twitter audience than he is to addressing real issues that impact everyday Nebraska lives.”

Conrad noted that anti-discrimination protections for student groups already exist under federal law. “If there is any sort of special treatment, if there is any sort of resources devoted to this, that would really raise concerns about unlawful viewpoint discrimination,” she warned.

Protesters Compare Initiative to “Hitler Youth”

Several protesters gathered outside the governor’s mansion during the announcement, holding signs that read “Charlie Kirk was not a role model” and comparing the clubs to “Hitler Youth.”

Nancy Brt, one of the protesters, told local media she was concerned about the state “advertising and supporting hate speech.”

“What did Charlie Kirk teach? What were his values?” Brt asked. “Teaching them hate. This is how we got Nazi youth back in the 40’s and the 30’s. It’s not stuff that children need to be playing with.”

Nebraska Joins Growing List of States

Nebraska becomes the sixth state to partner with Turning Point USA on high school expansion, joining Montana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida, and Texas. These partnerships have raised questions nationwide about whether state governments are using public resources to promote political causes in schools.

Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who attended the announcement, defended the partnership as an “antidote to political discord.”

“This is the antidote to poison in our culture,” Hilgers said. “It is people—young people, people of all ages—who are approaching issues not with violence and not with hate and not with, you know, yelling or disruption.”

The Charlie Kirk Legacy

Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September 2025 sent shockwaves through conservative circles. Kirk was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University, and his death sparked vigils across the country, including at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where Pillen spoke to hundreds of mourners.

Kirk’s widow, Erika, now leads Turning Point USA as CEO. Pillen said he spoke with her before the announcement. “She refuses to give in. She is championing her family and she’s championing Turning Point USA as a CEO,” Pillen said.

TPUSA reports it has seen a significant increase in Nebraska-based chapters since Kirk’s death, with more than 3,200 chapters now operating in high schools nationwide.

What Happens Next?

The practical implementation of this partnership remains unclear. While Pillen’s office insists there’s no mandate and no state funding involved, the governor’s public endorsement and the promise to address administrators who block clubs suggests some level of state involvement.

Schools must navigate complex legal terrain. Under the Equal Access Act, they cannot discriminate against clubs based on viewpoint—but they also must maintain political neutrality as public institutions. The question is whether a governor-promoted partnership crosses that line.

For students interested in starting any type of political club—whether conservative, liberal, or anything in between—the Equal Access Act provides clear protections. Schools that allow one non-curriculum club must allow others, regardless of political perspective.

Conclusion

Gov. Jim Pillen’s partnership with Turning Point USA represents a new frontier in the intersection of state government and student political activism. While supporters see it as protecting free speech and civic engagement, critics worry it compromises the political neutrality essential to public education.

The initiative raises fundamental questions about the role of elected officials in promoting specific organizations within public schools. As Nebraska moves forward with this partnership, parents, educators, and students will be watching closely to see whether it truly serves all students equally—or whether it tilts the scales toward one political perspective.

What do you think? Should governors partner with political organizations to expand their presence in public schools? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this story with others who care about education and free speech in Nebraska.