Kathmandu— On September 16, 2025, Devion Canty was coerced into withdrawing from Texas State University just two weeks into his first semester after participating in a protest at a campus memorial for Charlie Kirk, leader of the white supremacist group Turning Point USA, who had recently been assassinated. Following Governor Greg Abbott’s call for his expulsion on social media, university officials pressured Canty to withdraw to avoid being barred from other Texas public universities, resulting in the loss of federal grants and forcing him to leave campus amid death threats and harassment. He is now restarting his education at Johnson C. Smith University, a historically Black college in North Carolina, and fundraising to cover housing costs.

Rapid Response To Protest

Texas Governor Abbott posted a video of Canty’s protest on social media at 11:17 am, calling for his expulsion from Texas State University (TXST). By 12:30 pm, TXST President Kelly Damphousse issued a statement announcing the university was working to identify the student in the video. Just over five hours later, at 5:12 pm, Damphousse announced that Canty “is no longer a student at TXST.” In a university-wide email, Damphousse condemned Canty’s behavior and claimed it could make other students feel unsafe.

Escalating Harassment And Coercion

During the protest, Canty and other Black students were subjected to racial slurs while white protesters faced accusations of being “n-word lovers.” Canty was spat upon and physically pushed. Following the release of the video, his cell phone number was leaked online, resulting in a barrage of death threats and racist messages that forced him to change his number. University officials then pressured Canty into withdrawing by threatening expulsion, which would prevent him from attending other public universities in Texas.

Pattern Of Repression At TXST

Canty’s case is part of a wider pattern of repression at Texas State University, where three faculty members – Idris Robinson, Tom Alter, and Saeed Moshfegh – have recently been terminated over their political speech. Robinson and Alter both sued the university after being fired for expressing views critical of Israel and are still pursuing legal action. Moshfegh was reprimanded and not rehired after declaring his office a “safe space for immigrants.” In each case, TXST quickly responded to demands from external right-wing groups.

Rising Costs And Limited Access

Canty’s situation highlights the increasing unaffordability of higher education. With skyrocketing tuition rates and mounting student debt – currently totaling $1.7 trillion across 42.6 million borrowers – access to college is becoming increasingly limited, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds. Recent policy changes by the Trump administration will further restrict loan eligibility. Universities are also contributing to this problem through gentrification and corporate partnerships that drive up living costs in college towns.

Canty is currently fundraising to cover $8,000 of his $16,000 housing costs at Johnson C. Smith University, hoping to continue his education despite the obstacles he has faced.

(With inputs from CounterPunch)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.