Author Sharon McMahon was disinvited from Utah Valley University’s spring commencement ceremony over “safety concerns,” following backlash to her comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
McMahon, known as “America’s Government Teacher,” was slated to deliver the keynote speech at the university Wednesday, April 29, but the event continued without a speaker at all. The university made the initial announcement on March 26.
“Sharon McMahon is an original,” UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez said in March. “She is a force of nature and a force for good. As a former history teacher, she understands that education can inform, inspire, and instigate courageous action.”
Kirk was shot and killed at UVU in September 2025 while at an event for Turning Point USA, a company he founded. Kirk was known for engaging in discussions with people of opposing viewpoints and stimulating political conversation.
McMahon’s comments about the tragedy resurfaced and sparked outrage after she was announced as the keynote speaker. The school’s TPUSA chapter voiced its opposition to the university’s decision.
“Hours immediately after Charlie’s assassination, Sharon McMahon posted a now-deleted series of out-of-context quotes from Charlie in an effort to tarnish his name and minimize the tragedy, rather than offering condolences or condemning political violence,” TPUSA UVU President Caleb Chilcutt said on April 9.
“There are countless better alternatives,” Chilcutt said.
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) criticized her appointment on X, where he wrote a public letter to McMahon.
“You should withdraw,” Owens said. “In the immediate aftermath of his killing, when emotions were raw and the nation was processing a senseless act of violence, you chose to publicly criticize him.”
On April 16, Chilcutt praised university staff for removing McMahon as speaker.
“Sharon McMahon was an inappropriate speaker to begin with, and there are still better options available for this year’s commencement speaker – someone who can truly bring unity and celebration to the class of 2026 rather than controversy,” Chilcutt said.
The university told the Washington Examiner Thursday there will be no speaker at all for the ceremony and cited possible risks.
“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,” Senior Director of Public Relations Sharon Turner said.
“We look forward to coming together as a community to celebrate UVU’s largest graduating class in history, with more than 13,400 graduates, about one third of whom are the first in their families to graduate from college.”
McMahon spoke on The 1600 podcast Wednesday, where she said efforts to remove her created safety concerns due to ongoing threats against her, the school, the school’s president, and other officials.
“It just became an untenable situation, especially for a school who had been through so much, and, who understandably, was hesitant to take a risk.”
McMahon also addressed her post that sparked backlash when Kirk was assassinated. She argued the post was supposed to educate two groups of people: those who were fans of Kirk and those who had never heard of him.
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She said she created several slides that started with background information about TPUSA and Kirk’s podcast, and also added some of Kirk’s quotes for people who “could not understand why people took issue with some of his comments.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to McMahon’s team for comment.