Andy Ogles' Visit to Belmont Sparks Controversy
- Haley Ramsey
- 21 minutes ago
- 3 min read
A heated discussion broke out between state Rep. Andy Ogles and several students at a WELLCore event hosted by College Republicans on Monday morning, leading Chief of Campus Security Mark Labbé to intervene.
Even before the event, the classroom reached capacity with eager students holding signs in protest, leaving even more students outside trying to get in.
College Republicans hosted the town hall to foster conversation between Ogles and Belmont students, but most of the students in attendance disagreed with Ogles, causing a tense discussion which continued on social media throughout the day.
Student Majeed Oyewoga asked about facial-recognition technology being used in Iran to target citizens and if it could accidentally target children.
“I don’t know that there’s any evidence of that… cite a source and give me something specific,” Ogles said.
What followed was an increasingly tense debate between the two, and Labbé stepped forward, urging students to stay seated.
Oyewoga did not provide a source for his claims and instead told Ogles to look up the topic himself.
Ogles ended the interaction, telling Oyewoga, “Sit down, you’re done.”
Many other students attending the event were opposed to Ogles and held paper signs with a quote from Ogles’ X account and an excerpt of the Belmont University Code of Conduct.
“Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie,” read the top half of one student’s sign.
Beneath it: “The Belmont community is committed to the dignity and worth of every individual, recognizing that each person is unique and possesses both rights and responsibilities.”
Ogles asked to speak at Belmont even though last year he opposed Belmont’s diversity policies.
He posted on his X account, claiming Belmont's teachers “deal in deception” and The HUB is a renamed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office.
He also wrote a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon “demanding a full investigation into Belmont–and, if necessary, a cut to their funding.”
When asked about his current opinions on the university, Ogles said he recognizes that Belmont has worked with the current administration and Trump’s executive order to remove DEI policies.
“That was the point of calling them out,” he said.
Ogles also said he is a “huge fan of Belmont,” but he had an obligation to hold the school accountable.
The event ran over the allotted one hour, and some students raised their voices, asking Ogles to take their questions before he left.
Despite the opposing perspectives, Belmont's College Republicans chapter President Mya Goodmanson felt the event was a positive experience.
“In terms of a controversial event, it went very well,” she said.
While there was no violence, just heated debate, Ogles posted a video of the crowd on his Instagram account with the caption: “This is what violent Leftist rhetoric has inspired on American college campuses. Another town hall hijacked by a screaming mob.”
The post received many comments from Belmont students claiming there was no violence.
“As someone who was there, not a single ounce of violence was present in those halls. Not. An. Ounce,” said user @sophialbader.
Another user commented, saying, “The event was not hijacked. The event proceeded calmly, and these were protesters who spoke up after the event ended.”
Written by Haley Ramsey