On September 23, state representatives Andy Hopper and Shelly Luther denounced the university in the Denton Downtown Square, claiming that the school failed to effectively address the classroom event on September 10 that drew national notice.
The politicians urged university administrators to take harsher action when student Mary-Catherine Hallmark addressed classmates who allegedly celebrated the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Both stated the university’s response to the incident was inadequate and advocated for improvements in how such cases are handled.
“To be honest, we expect a lot more of UNT,” Hopper told the audience. “We live in a university town that has become increasingly liberal and UNT is not just a reflective nature of that culture; it is a driving force of that culture, and it has been for a very long time.”
Hopper stated that the institution must enforce its student conduct policy and ensure that students understand “you cannot be in a classroom and proclaim support” for activities such as Kirk’s murder.
“If there are savages, if there are people who are basically relishing in the death of Americans, that is severely anti-social behavior, and we should not have students that are basically living off of our tax money going to a public university that are cheering the gruesome death of fellow Americans in class,” Hopper told the crowd.
He stated that the university’s reliance on state funding makes it especially accountable to lawmakers, who he claims are monitoring and expecting “decisive behavior soon.”
“UNT is not in the same physical position that UT is,” Hopper told me. “They do not have a significant endowment. They rely only on the state of Texas for funding.
According to the university’s budget office, the university’s funding comes from four main sources: state appropriations, tuition and fees, research grants and contracts, and services like housing and meals.
Of the $1,007,575,199 budget for the fiscal year 2025, 20.1 percent came from state appropriations and 3.8 percent from capital appropriations.
State appropriations are funds authorized by a state legislature for use by public agencies for one-time or ongoing expenses. Capital is funds set aside by the government for long-term projects and investments.
Hallmark, who has not returned to class since September 10, claims she has received no information from the university despite filing reports.
“It was scary, because it was just one voice against many,” Hallmark told me. “But I prayed about it, and I knew this was the right thing to do, so that’s why I took action.”
Hopper believes the university should apologize to Hallmark directly and make her feel safe on campus.
On September 19, Hopper, along with Reps. Mitch Little, Ben Bumgarner, and Richard Hayes, signed a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, demanding him to examine what they described as the university’s “concerning lack of response.”
Hopper said he has not yet received a response from the governor’s office, but he has spoken with one of Abbott’s top staffers.
“She saw people in her class celebrating the gruesome assassination of an absolute patriot, a fellow American, and rather than allow them to continue, she decided, ‘I’m going to use my voice and stand up,'” Hopper told me. “That has created a whirlwind for her, but there are so many patriots supporting her across North Texas.”
Luther stated that despite not knowing the “specifics,” she believes the institution should maintain direct communication with Hallmark to assure her safety after speaking out.
Approximately three dozen individuals gathered to salute Hallmark. The celebration began with a prayer, followed by statements praising the students’ actions.
Luther contrasted Hallmark’s decision to her own refusal to comply with COVID-19 shutdown instructions in 2020, which resulted in a lengthy jail sentence.
“You can learn the law, you can learn what you are allowed to do, but it is very difficult to learn courage,” Luther told Hallmark at the event. “You were born with that. God puts you in difficult situations so that you can radiate light in the darkness. And that is just what you did.
Hopper read aloud a resolution commending Hallmark for “publicly condemning the celebration of an act of political violence” and presented her with a Texas flag flown over the Texas State Capitol.
Hopper expects the university to respond quickly and believes it should praise Hallmark “for standing up for civilized behavior.”
“I believe the University of North Texas will pull through on all this,” Hopper continued. “I think that they have a great opportunity to make a difference, to change the culture at UNT and that’s what we’re looking for.”
Hallmark spoke briefly to the audience, thanking them for their encouragement.
“As much hate as I’m getting, I’m getting more support,” she told me. “Students are coming up to me saying, ‘You are giving me a voice on campus,’ and that makes me want to push harder and not give up.”
The Daily sought to contact Hallmark’s mother, Randee Hallmark, who advised the paper to connect with university President Harrison Keller.
