Free Speech On Trial: Texas Tech University Student Arrested And Expelled After Outburst At Charlie Kirk Vigil

The incident has highlighted the complexities of free speech on a public university campus.

An 18-year-old Texas Tech University student was arrested and subsequently expelled after a video surfaced showing her making offensive comments at a vigil for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, university officials and law enforcement confirmed. The incident, which occurred Sept. 12, has sparked a conversation on campus about free speech and community values.

The Texas Tech Police Department arrested the student, identified as Camryn Giselle Booker, after she was filmed shouting at other students gathered near the Student Union Building. According to a statement from the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Booker was charged with a Class C misdemeanor for assault. While this is the lowest level of criminal offense in Texas, the university took swift action. A statement from the Texas Tech Police Department confirmed the arrest, and a university spokesperson later told FOX 4 News that Booker was no longer enrolled.

It’s important to note that Texas Tech University is a public institution.

“Any behavior that denigrates victims of violence is reprehensible, has no place on our campus, and is not aligned with our values,” Texas Tech said in a statement. The university added that, while federal law prevents it from discussing individual student conduct cases, it takes all reported violations seriously and addresses them in accordance with university policy and law.

First Amendment Protections and Campus Policy

The incident was captured on video, showing a tense exchange between Booker and students at the vigil. In the footage, Booker appears to confront a man wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, at one point saying, “F–k y’all homie dead, he got shot in the head.”

When accused of being hateful, she turned her camera on the man, asking him why he was being hateful. Tensions escalated, with Booker claiming she was being called “aggressive because I’m a Black woman.”

The incident has highlighted the complexities of free speech on a public university campus. The U.S. Supreme Court has long maintained that First Amendment protections apply with full force on college campuses, referring to them as a “marketplace of ideas” where “free, robust, and uninhibited debate” is encouraged.

However, as laid out in its code of conduct, Texas Tech reserves the right to address behavior that infringes on the rights of other students or is significantly detrimental to its educational mission. This includes conduct that occurs online or off-campus.

Booker was released from jail on a $200 bond on Saturday, and a representative for her declined to comment on the matter.

Following the incident, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott weighed in on the situation via a post on X, sharing a photo of Booker’s arrest with the caption, “This is what happened to the person who was mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Texas Tech. FAFO.”

This is what happened to the person who was mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Texas Tech.

FAFO https://t.co/eaFMdWKsIS pic.twitter.com/q6z0X2tLLQ
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 15, 2025

Kirk was killed earlier this month while giving a speech at a university in Utah.