Two members of the right-wing organization Turning Point USA were caught on both cell phones and surveillance cameras shoving an LGBTQ+ professor at Arizona State University on campus.
In footage posted online, a member of the conservative group is seen questioning Professor David Boyles about Drag Queen Story Hour, of which he organized a local version in Arizona.
When asked by TPUSA about the reasons for establishing a local chapter of the controversial storytelling hour, Boyle declined to answer questions.
“Let me ask you, when did you decide to get into sex education?” the reporter asked first.
Other questions were asked of Boyles, including: “How long have you been attracted to minors?” and “How long have you fantasized about minors having sex with adults?”
Two members of Turning Point USA, one on the right, were caught on camera in a confrontation with an LGBTQ+ Arizona State University professor, David Boyes, left, on campus
Professor David Boyles (right) has been asked repeatedly about his involvement in founding a local chapter of the Drag Queen Story Hour in Arizona
🚨ASU professor attacks TPUSA cameraman, filmed 🚨
Our TPUSA Frontlines reporter tried to ask self-proclaimed “sex education obsessed” queer ASU professor David Boyles a few simple questions. Our cameras refused to respond and captured the exact moment Mr. Boyles was attacked… pic.twitter.com/YJWBEzSgRx
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) October 13, 2023
“What are you going to tell me, nothing? What will you do?’ the TP reporter asks as Boyles remains silent.
“David, you can’t run.” “The best thing to do is just talk to me about why you want to force sodomy on young people,” the reporter suggests.
Finally, Boyles snaps. Video footage then shows him trying to grab the camera of one of his interrogators.
But as he does so, he is pushed backwards by the videographer and then shoved from behind by the activist asking the questions.
Then Boyle appears to trip over the flowing white skirt he was wearing.
Security footage from above released by Arizona State University also appears to show Boyles attempting to reach for the cellphone camera, resulting in him being pushed before falling face-first to the ground.
Boyles later posted a photo of himself with blood running down the side of his face.
“One filmed on his cell phone while the other shouted horrible and inflammatory things at me, repeated the usual right-wing nonsense about Drag Story Hour, and personally accused me of pedophilia and hatred of America,” Boyles wrote online.
Boyles appeared to reach for the camera, but was pushed from behind and tripped
Surveillance video from above shows Boyles reaching for the cameraman’s phone
The reporter is then seen pushing Boyles from behind, causing him to trip and fall
Boyles is then seen lying on the ground after being pushed
He said while one person was filming the incident, the other person made derogatory and inflammatory comments at him.
“Knowing they were filming to post this online and harass me further, I blocked the camera.” As I did so, the other man jumped at me from behind, throwing me onto the pavement and causing the injuries , which you see above,” Boyles explained.
My physical injuries are relatively minor and I’m fine. But I also feel angry, hurt, ashamed and distressed that we have made this kind of harassment and violence against anyone who tries to support LGBTQ+ youth the norm,” he added.
Police are now investigating the incident as a possible case of aggravated assault with bias against LGBTQ+ people.
In a video that Turning Point shared with his 650,000 followers
Boyles later posted a photo of himself with blood on one side of his face
The respondent also accused Boyles of harboring anti-American sentiments and promoting harmful acts. The video ultimately ends with a brief physical altercation.
“Boyles’ attack resulted in a cable being cut, which caused the video to cut out immediately after its initial failure, but it is clear from the video that Mr. Boyles initiated a physical altercation in a moment of anger and attacked our crew,” Turning Point USA wrote in a statement to X.
“Our team has every intention of making this footage available to local law enforcement, and if our cameraman decides to press criminal charges against Professor Boyle, we will fully support that decision.”
Boyles has been a writing lecturer at the university since 2015 and specializes in “popular culture, digital literacy, visual rhetoric and the rhetoric of higher education,” according to his university bio.
Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point, claimed that Boyles initiated the physical contact by lunging at her cameraman.
“A TPUSA Frontlines reporter attempted to question Professor Boyles about his ideas and published beliefs about exposing minors to drag queens, his writings about underage sex, and underground queer sex education – a topic he admittedly obsesses about is.”
“While Professor Boyles was asking these questions, he unexpectedly lunged at our cameraman and attacked him. Our reporter attempted to separate Mr. Boyle from our cameraman, which resulted in Mr. Boyles falling and scraping his face. But the video evidence is clear: Professor Boyles instigated a physical altercation because he didn’t like the questions.
“Not liking a question is not a justification for attacking someone.” The cameraman has since called the ASUPD and will be filing a report.”
Police are currently in the process of identifying the crew members involved.
Boyles University officials issued a statement denouncing harassment and threatening behavior toward ASU employees.
Phoenix-based Turning Point USA has gained traction in conservative circles, growing from a campus-focused organization to a nationally recognized organization alongside its founder, Charlie Kirk.