Conservative Student Group Leader Facing Threats and Harassment Following Public Condemnation From University President

By Cassandra MacDonald  |  May 02, 2022

A Conservative student group leader at the University of North Texas says that threats against her have escalated after the university’s President Neal Smatresk publicly condemned her and the organization.

Kelly Neidert founded the school’s chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas and runs a group called “Protect Texas Kids.”

The 22-year-old senior recently made headlines when she invited Texas House of Representatives candidate Jeff Younger to speak to the groups on campus.

Younger is in a controversial court battle with his ex-wife who has transitioned their seven year old son into a “girl,” despite his objections.

The event, which took place on March 2, was protested by left-wing activists and delved into such chaos that campus police hid Neidert in a closet for her safety.

Neidert told Timcast that during the event she was assaulted with signs, Younger was spit at, and a police officer was punched.

UNT President Smatresk said campus police had increased security for the event “because conversations surrounding the student organization’s event, which focused on criminalizing healthcare for transgender children, have been contentious,” adding that “a few hundred protesters” had gathered during the event.

Two weeks later, though it was the activists who threatened the safety of other students on campus, President Smatresk issued another statement condemning the conservative student organization.

“Following a helpful meeting with students who gathered outside the Hurley Administration Building recently, I want to state my unequivocal support for the queer and trans members of the UNT community. Offensive statements directed at these students by a student organization are abhorrent. It is unacceptable when people are hateful, or groups go out of their way to bully or demean marginalized populations. There is no place for this behavior on our campus,” the statement read, in part.

Since then, Neidert tells Timcast that she has been subjected to consistent threats and that “the amount of backlash significantly increased and remained constant after he condemned me.”

On Friday, the door to her apartment was vandalized.

Neidert has filed a report with the Denton Police, but they have not followed up with her.

“The school administration does absolutely nothing to protect me, the president has openly condemned me and my student organization — which just leads to more people harassing me since they know they can get away with it,” Neidert said.

An activist at a “Trans Pride Fest” at the university, an event hosted by the UNT Young Democratic Socialists, allegedly claimed credit for the damage.

Neidert said that she does have concerns that the harassment and vandalism could escalate into further violence because she does not intend to back down.

“Right now I think that these people are just trying to scare me, but when they realize I’m not giving up I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually tried to harm me,” Neidert said.

Over 20,000 people have signed a petition demanding Neidert be expelled for her opposition to gender alterations of children.

Timcast has reached out to President Smatresk for comment. We will update this story if a response is provided.

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