Education · Salt Lake City, UT Metro · September 16, 2026
Utah Democrats Seek Expulsion of College Republicans Over Kirk Cake Photo
According to a report from The Gateway Pundit, a campus dispute at the University of Utah began September 10 when a student identified as Sara Larsen displayed a cake referencing the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk near a table staffed by the University of Utah College Republicans. Rylie Barnes, the chapter's vice president, posted a photo of the cake online; Larsen later apologized, which the College Republicans said they accepted. The outlet reports that the University of Utah's College Democrats subsequently filed a complaint with the Dean of Students seeking to expel Barnes and another College Republican, alleging the students engaged in 'threatening or endangering behavior' by posting the photo. An expulsion hearing was reportedly scheduled this week. The report also states that Harmeet Dhillon, the U.S. Department of Justice's Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, responded publicly on social media, writing 'Utah... wth is going on over there.' The University of Utah has not issued its own public statement confirming these specifics; the account rests on Gateway Pundit's reporting and social media posts from the students involved.
Source: thegatewaypundit.com
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Why Bible-Believing Christians Should Care
If accurately reported, this case illustrates a pattern conservative Christians should watch closely on campuses: students who document or expose offensive speech face disciplinary jeopardy, while the original conduct — celebrating a political assassination — draws no comparable institutional response. Scripture warns against uneven judgment, and a university process that risks expelling students for publicizing a cake mocking a killing, rather than addressing the mockery itself, raises real fairness questions. This matters beyond Utah because it tests whether campus disciplinary codes are being applied neutrally or weaponized against students holding conservative viewpoints. Families and students should know their institution's actual speech and conduct policies before enrolling or continuing to support them financially.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. — Matthew 7:2
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🖋 The editor wrote a From the Desk column on this story: The Cake Was Not the Scandal at Utah
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Schools operate under mandates for safety, inclusion, and critical thinking. Activists weaponize those terms under Rule 4. Redefine safety to mean protection from opposing ideas and the school must now exclude traditional Christian viewpoints in order to fulfill its own stated mandate.
— Chapter 19, “Capture in K-12”
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