The Daily Populous Wednesday February 18th, 2026 morning edition
Authored by independent.co.uk and submitted by brain_overclocked

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A Turning Point USA event for Maryland high schoolers was reported to child protective services after parents expressed “serious concern” about their children’s safety at the meeting.

A parent, identified only as “Nancy,” told attendees at a Calvert County school board meeting on February 12 that kids had been put at risk because adults were not allowed to attend the event.

However, the 17-year-old president of Calvert County Club America, which is associated with TPUSA, said that some adult attendance would still be permitted. This attendance was limited to parents and volunteers only due to the “hate” the group had received online.

“We have been accused of many things,” the unnamed president said, explaining the decision. “We have been accused of grooming children - an allegation that a random, unnamed man was president of our group and had certain felony charges.

“I'm the president of the group,” he continued. “I'm 17, I'm a minor.

“I can't groom children because I am a child. I don't have any felony charges or convictions.”

open image in gallery A parent called Nancy said that she was concerned that children could be exposed to 'influence' at the TPUSA event ( Calvert County Board of Education )

At the hearing earlier this month, Nancy maintained that she still believed the event was not safe.

Before revealing that CPS had been contacted, she said that the event “raises serious concerns related to student safety, parental rights and governance oversight.”

"Excluding parents and guardians from a student-focused event creates a lack of transparency and undermines established best practices for youth safety,” she continued. "Students are widely recognized as a vulnerable population, they are in critical developmental stages, and especially susceptible to influence.”

It is unknown whether Nancy filed the CPS report herself.

There has been a surge in young people joining Turning Point USA in the wake of its founder, Charlie Kirk’s, assassination last year.

In the week following Kirk’s death in September 2025, over 54,000 college students contacted the conservative group about membership.

open image in gallery There was a surge in young people joining Turning Point USA after the assassination of its founder Charlie Kirk (pictured) ( AP )

The nonprofit organization states on its website that it hopes to “educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.”

It also claims that capitalism is the “most moral and proven economic system ever discovered.”

President Donald Trump has long sung the group’s praises, even appearing at a huge memorial event for Kirk last year.

But the group has often been criticized for the extreme views Kirk expressed while he was alive.

He regularly denounced what he referred to as the “LGBTQ agenda,” and called on followers to overturn convictions of people charged for hate crimes after burning Pride or BLM flags.

Kirk also claimed that Covid jabs had created a “medical apartheid” and suggested that the 2022 election had been rigged by President Biden.

In the wake of his death, the group is now run by his widow, Erika Kirk.

The Independent has contacted Turning Point USA and the Calvert County Board of Education for comment.

SureThing088 on February 18th, 2026 at 03:10 UTC »

These fucking people.

For YEARS they projected and stated that progressives and Democrats were trying to brainwash kids.

The level of projection these sick fucks display is mind-boggling. It's like they've unknowingly given us their whole script

YetiSquish on February 18th, 2026 at 02:31 UTC »

Why the fuck is TPUSA being allowed to spew their agenda in public schools?

brain_overclocked on February 18th, 2026 at 02:22 UTC »

EDIT: To add more context:

> A Turning Point USA event for Maryland high schoolers was reported to child protective services after parents expressed “serious concern” about their children’s safety at the meeting.

> A parent, identified only as “Nancy,” told attendees at a Calvert County school board meeting on February 12 that kids had been put at risk because adults were not allowed to attend the event.

> However, the 17-year-old president of Calvert County Club America, which is associated with TPUSA, said that some adult attendance would still be permitted. This attendance was limited to parents and volunteers only due to the “hate” the group had received online.

> “We have been accused of many things,” the unnamed president said, explaining the decision. “We have been accused of grooming children - an allegation that a random, unnamed man was president of our group and had certain felony charges.

> “I'm the president of the group,” he continued. “I'm 17, I'm a minor.

> “I can't groom children because I am a child. I don't have any felony charges or convictions.”

> At the hearing earlier this month, Nancy maintained that she still believed the event was not safe.

> Before revealing that CPS had been contacted, she said that the event “raises serious concerns related to student safety, parental rights and governance oversight.”

> "Excluding parents and guardians from a student-focused event creates a lack of transparency and undermines established best practices for youth safety,” she continued. "Students are widely recognized as a vulnerable population, they are in critical developmental stages, and especially susceptible to influence.”

> It is unknown whether Nancy filed the CPS report herself.

> There has been a surge in young people joining Turning Point USA in the wake of its founder, Charlie Kirk’s, assassination last year.

> In the week following Kirk’s death in September 2025, over 54,000 college students contacted the conservative group about membership.

> The nonprofit organization states on its website that it hopes to “educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.”

> It also claims that capitalism is the “most moral and proven economic system ever discovered.”

> President Donald Trump has long sung the group’s praises, even appearing at a huge memorial event for Kirk last year.

> But the group has often been criticized for the extreme views Kirk expressed while he was alive.

> He regularly denounced what he referred to as the “LGBTQ agenda,” and called on followers to overturn convictions of people charged for hate crimes after burning Pride or BLM flags.

> Kirk also claimed that Covid jabs had created a “medical apartheid” and suggested that the 2022 election had been rigged by President Biden.

> In the wake of his death, the group is now run by his widow, Erika Kirk.