Turning Point USA event controversy leads to CPS report
The Department of Justice is investigating a report made to child protective services concerning a Turning Point USA chapter at a Maryland high school, as Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated on February 18, 2026. As of February 18, 2026, the DOJ's involvement marks a significant escalation in the scrutiny of the incident, which began when community member Nancy Krause reported students to CPS on December 1, 2025, for starting a TPUSA chapter in Calvert County, Maryland. Krause publicly testified at a Calvert County school board meeting on February 14, 2026, that she reported the club due to concerns about student safety and parental rights, citing issues with parents being excluded from an event and board of education members serving as guest speakers.
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2026
5 updatesThe president of Calvert County Club America (CCCA), a student group affiliated with Turning Point USA, defended their recent high school event, stating attendance was restricted to students with parental permission. Parents had previously expressed concerns about student safety and parental rights, alleging exclusion from the event, which led to a report to Child Protective Services. The controversy has also attracted the attention of the Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice is investigating a report made to child protective services concerning a Turning Point USA chapter at a Maryland high school. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated she is "looking into" the matter after a video surfaced of Nancy Krause claiming she reported the club due to concerns about student safety and parental rights.
The Department of Justice is investigating the circumstances surrounding a report made to child protective services regarding a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) high school chapter in Calvert County, Maryland. The report was filed by community member Nancy Krause, who cited concerns about parents being excluded from an event and board of education members serving as guest speakers. The DOJ's involvement marks a significant escalation in the scrutiny of the incident.
Nancy Krause testified at a Calvert County school board meeting, stating she reported students to Child Protective Services for starting a Turning Point USA club. This testimony brought the earlier CPS notification to public attention.
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The Maryland Open Meetings Compliance Board ruled that the Calvert County Board of Education did not violate state law in approving changes to an "Educational Equity" policy without discussion. This ruling came after a complaint alleging secret meetings, though the board found no evidence of such meetings.
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2025
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2025
7 updatesA woman named Nancy Krause in Calvert County, Maryland, reported students to Child Protective Services (CPS) because they started a Turning Point USA chapter. This action was later revealed through social media posts and reports.
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The University of Maryland's Turning Point USA chapter continued to view the security fee as discriminatory and refused to pay. This dispute highlighted broader concerns about free speech and the imposition of financial burdens on student groups for hosting events with potentially controversial viewpoints.
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The University of Maryland chapter of Turning Point USA continued to push back against the school for what they called a viewpoint-discriminatory security fee. Event organizers stated they were told the event could not continue unless the chapter agreed to pay for added security. The chapter gained support from FIRE, which called on the school to rescind the fee, but the school maintained its requirement.
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The Leadership Institute, an organization that trains conservative activists, agreed to cover the costs for the University of Maryland's TPUSA event, allowing it to proceed as planned. The chapter had been informed on October 2nd that University of Maryland Police would provide security free of charge, but later faced the requirement to pay for additional security.
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The University of Maryland's Turning Point USA chapter challenged a security fee imposed by the university for an upcoming speaker event. The chapter demanded the university rescind the requirement for the organization to pay for additional security for an event featuring The Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips. The chapter stated the fee was unconstitutional and "view-point discriminatory," accusing the university of assuming any events connected with TPUSA require extra security.
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The University of Maryland responded to FIRE, explaining that security fees for events are based on content and viewpoint-neutral criteria, and that all event hosts are responsible for paying security fees. However, the university also has an unwritten exception for events in certain designated outdoor spaces where UMD absorbs all security costs.
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The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) wrote to the University of Maryland, explaining that the university may not impose financial burdens on student groups based on potential reactions to their expression. This was in response to the University of Maryland's police department refusing to approve a TPUSA event unless the chapter paid for four hours of security, despite similar measures not being required for other recent on-campus TPUSA events. FIRE called on UMD to allow the event to proceed as planned.
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