23-04-2025
Arrowhead High School's Turning Point USA chapter to host Riley Gaines, an outspoken opponent of trans women in women's sports
Riley Gaines, who has been outspoken against transgender women participating in women's sports, will speak at Arrowhead High School next month as guest of the school's chapter of a national conservative organization.
The school's chapter of Turning Point USA is hosting Gaines at an event at 7 p.m. May 7 at the school's South Campus, according to chapter adviser Tom Truttschel. The chapter advertised Gaines' speaking event on its Instagram page.
The event is open only to Arrowhead students and parents. Truttschel said the chapter is paying nothing for Gaines to speak at the school.
Gaines received public attention after the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming Championships in which she criticized the NCAA for allowing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to participate, claiming Thomas had an unfair athletic advantage. At the time, Gaines swam for the University of Kentucky.
Arrowhead Superintendent Conrad Farner said that, similar to other club speakers or activities, there is no approval necessary from district administration. He said each club has an adviser who provides oversight, but the goal of student clubs is to have students own the activities as much as possible.
"Unless there is a concern about safety or inappropriate/illegal/dangerous behavior, the administration does not generally get too involved with how a club operates. We count on the advisers to properly advise/guide the students, and be a liaison with the administrators if there are any questions or concerns," Farner said.
Arrowhead's chapter of Turning Point USA started last year, which drew some criticism from parents about the rhetoric of Turning Point speakers and leaders and the group's operations. The national Turning Point USA organization was started in 2012 by co-founders Charlie Kirk and Bill Montgomery. Montgomery died in 2020.
Arrowhead is one of four Milwaukee area high schools with a chapter shown on a map of chapters and "activism hubs" on Turning Point USA's website. The other Milwaukee area high schools shown include Kettle Moraine, Muskego and Waukesha West high schools. There are also high school chapters in Juneau, Kaukauna, Lake Geneva, Minocqua, Williams Bay, Oshkosh and Waunakee. Turning Point USA's chapter map also shows chapters at many Wisconsin colleges and universities, including at most University of Wisconsin campuses.
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or Follow him on X (Twitter) at @AlecJohnson12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Anti-trans activist Riley Gaines to speak at Arrowhead HS club event
