Rhode Island High Schoolers Launch Turning Point USA Chapter After Teacher Mocks Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
Students at Barrington High School in Rhode Island are pushing back after a teacher mocked the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. In response to the incident, students have launched a new chapter of TPUSA at their school.
The controversy erupted after Social Studies teacher Benjamin Fillo posted a video online expressing joy over Kirk’s death, calling the conservative leader “garbage” and spreading false claims about his views. Fillo appeared to justify the assassination, smiling and sarcastically saying, “Bye, Charlie,” in a video that quickly drew outrage across the community and beyond. He also questioned whether “we’re gonna wanna take guns away now from who will inevitably be the white man who shot and killed him.”
Can Barrington, Rhode Island @bps_ri teacher & NEA Barrington President Benjamin Fillo confirm/deny he made this video saying Charlie Kirk
“thought he proved how tough he was with his words…What a piece of garbage. Look what happens…Bye, Charlie!”
It’s inhumane. pic.twitter.com/KD473ndMMY
— Nicole Solas, Sued by the Teachers Union (@Nicoletta0602) September 11, 2025
The teacher’s comments were met with swift backlash, and he was reportedly placed on administrative leave. In the meantime, a group of students decided to take action by forming their own chapter of Turning Point USA.
Brayden Ryan, the newly formed chapter’s vice president, told Fox News that the teacher’s hateful remarks after Kirk’s death inspired him to help create a space where conservative students could feel supported. “He made a TikTok about how he has no remorse over him and how he was a hateful person,” Ryan said. “I feel like we should give space to other students, a free and safe space to other students, other conservative students, to speak their own personal values, such as their religious beliefs and their political beliefs.”
Barrington School District spokesperson Sarah Dell confirmed that the students were moving through the school’s formal process to establish the club. “Barrington High School students are always welcome and encouraged to pursue new clubs that reflect their interests,” Dell said. She added that the TPUSA chapter was one of about a dozen new clubs currently under review.
Fillo’s video, which has since been deleted, has drawn condemnation from many in the community who believe it crossed the line of acceptable discourse—particularly coming from an educator. The incident has reignited debates about political bias and the treatment of conservative students on high school and college campuses.
The students behind the new TPUSA chapter say they’re committed to promoting free speech and standing up for conservative values in an environment that often feels hostile to them. For them, launching this chapter is about more than just one teacher’s words—it’s about ensuring all voices have a seat at the table.