I strongly reject Governor Jeff Landry’s call to build a Charlie Kirk statue at LSU, as reported by The Reveille on October 27th. His rationale is supporting freedom of speech on campus. LSU already supports this, including through Free Speech Alley. Further, memorializing someone known for such provocative and divisive commentary sounds like endorsement, not openness. This endorsement would undermine LSU’s commitment to a campus where students, faculty, and staff can feel like they truly belong. The statue is not only unnecessary for freedom of speech on campus, but also a threat to it.

On October 15th, Loyola University New Orleans’s student government denied a chapter of Turning Point USA, which Charlie Kirk co-founded. Students cited concerns about a hostile climate. LSU should also avoid steps that can polarize the campus atmosphere. Specifically, LSU’s community should follow suit and reject the governor’s efforts to build a Charlie Kirk statue on campus at every step of the way. There are better ways to use those resources.

LSU’s mission is to prepare transformative leaders through excellence in research, education, and service. If new resources are available, they should be invested into systems that serve this mission instead (e.g., research and classroom support, scholarships, and mental health services). These systems deliver clear benefits for LSU’s community, and are much better investments than a statue memorializing Charlie Kirk.

If I start a controversial podcast and start ragebaiting college students, I will let the governor know. Maybe he’ll push for me to get a statue on campus too! Or not. Unlike Charlie Kirk, I actually have an affiliation with LSU.

Dr. Vincent Medina is an LSU alumnus.