Lake Country Classical Academy Principal Margaret Hagedorn announced for the second time on Tuesday that students will not be allowed to create a Turning Point club at the public charter high school, a decision she revealed on Charlie Kirk’s birthday. Instead, LCCA will create a school-sponsored “civics club.”
The announcement received immediate pushback from Melissa Smiley, the mom whose daughter, Catie Smiley, 17, is one of the three students trying to start the Turning Point club at the school. She sent a lengthy response to Hagedorn and LCCA administration, which was obtained by Wisconsin Right Now.
“To suggest that a top-down creation of a ‘school-sanctioned Civics Club’ represents their effort or agreement with administration is inaccurate and dismissive of their hard work and another glaring example of the backwards governance that is eroding at the core of Lake Country Classical Academy,” Smiley wrote Hagedorn and the board. The school already has a “service club” and parents say a previous civics club was disbanded by Hagedorn.
“It appears, instead, that this ‘solution’ was devised as a PR response to recent public concern rather than a genuine collaboration with the students who initiated this idea,” Smiley said. “If the goal were truly to foster civic engagement and critical thinking, the students themselves would have been part of the conversation with TPUSA’s national office — not spoken for by administration after their proposal had already been rejected.”
Hagedorn’s decision came the day after an LCCA board packet included a draft letter that informed parents that the school would be revising its policies and should be able to accommodate the Turning Point club. It’s not clear whether Hagedorn’s latest announcement was made in consultation with the board, which meets Wednesday, as the draft letter (which hasn’t been voted on yet) and Hagedorn’s latest pronouncement don’t appear to be fully in sync. Read the draft letter here. The school is located in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin; the furor has divided parents, with some supporting Hagedorn and others opposing her decision.
Hagedorn has ignored two requests for comment from Wisconsin Right Now. Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow, who is the authorizer of the school, also has not responded to a request for comment. Meanwhile, Catie Smiley and her quest – with two other students – to start the Turning Point Club has gone viral.
Hagedorn said the decision to replace the Turning Point request with the generic “civics club” was made after consultation with a Turning Point representative and Hillsdale College, of which LCCA is a member school. Kirk attended and was very close to Hillsdale, a college in Michigan. However, Smiley questioned whether the students were included in the process.
We obtained an email that Hagedorn sent to parents announcing the new decision. It says in full:
“I’ve spent the past few days talking directly with national leadership at TPUSA and its high school division, ‘Club America.’ It’s been great to learn more about their educational work and the structure of their outreach. I discussed our school and the Hillsdale K-12 curriculum that we use. It was a fruitful opportunity to understand the common ground between both of our organizations.
(I can confirm that they are as passionate about civics, American history, and civil debate as we are!) We clarified our fidelity to Hillsdale’s model and curriculum. After good discussions with TPUSA, we’ve agreed to create a school-sanctioned Civics Club that will promote civic practice for students and complement the hard work we do here within the parameters of the school’s own policies. I am grateful for national TPUSA and its leadership and for their help in landing on a solution. I look forward to working with them in the future.”
Indeed, Hillsdale College tweeted on the matter, writing,
Turning Point representative Nick Cocca also weighed in. He’s the Club America Enterprise Director for Turning Point.
Here is Melissa Smiley’s response in full. She sent it to the board as well as Hagedorn and other LCCA administrators:
“Mrs. Hagedorn and LCCA Leadership,
Thank you for your email and for taking the time to engage with TPUSA’s national leadership. However, I want to make it absolutely clear that this newly announced “Civics Club” is not the initiative that Catie, (and the two other students) have been developing, nor is it an agreed-upon substitute.
These students have worked diligently for weeks to research, draft, and refine a formal constitution and chapter charter following TPUSA / Club America’s national framework. They have acted with integrity, responsibility, and excellence — demonstrating precisely the virtues we should be cultivating at LCCA. To suggest that a top-down creation of a “school-sanctioned Civics Club” represents their effort or agreement with administration is inaccurate and dismissive of their hard work and another glaring example of the backwards governance that is eroding at the core of Lake Country Classical Academy.
It appears, instead, that this “solution” was devised as a PR response to recent public concern rather than a genuine collaboration with the students who initiated this idea. If the goal were truly to foster civic engagement and critical thinking, the students themselves would have been part of the conversation with TPUSA’s national office — not spoken for by administration after their proposal had already been rejected.
To ensure transparency and proper communication, I would like written clarification on the following points:
Does this new “Civics Club” hold any formal affiliation or recognition by TPUSA / Club America, or is it an entirely LCCA-created entity?
Were the student founders (Catie, Amy, and Colton) included or consulted in the conversations with TPUSA national leadership?
If not, on what grounds did LCCA leadership assume authority to represent their intentions or act on their behalf?
What is the exact difference, in LCCA’s policy terms, between “enrichment classes” (such as Mad Science or Chess Club — both run by outside organizations) and a recognized after-school club with external affiliation like TPUSA?
Why was a philosophy club — which would fall squarely within the realm of classical education — also rejected earlier this year, while “outside vendor” enrichment programs continue to be approved?
While I appreciate the desire to “land on a solution,” I find it concerning that this announcement frames the matter as resolved, particularly given that Mrs. Hagedorn did not attend the original student presentation – when asked by Catie Smiley to be present – and therefore has not personally witnessed their preparation, composure, or reasoning. Her subsequent public involvement appears reactionary and aimed at damage control, rather than reflective of authentic leadership or accountability to the student body.
If the administration is serious about forming virtuous citizens through classical education, then the students’ voice must be central to this process — not managed or replaced by administrative optics. While I support collaboration with TPUSA and appreciate the conversations that have occurred, the administration does not have the right to redefine or rebrand the students’ proposal without their consent or participation. Any formal partnership or club development moving forward must involve direct engagement with the student founders and their written charter, not administrative reinterpretation of their intent.
I would like to request a written follow-up answering the questions above so there is a clear record of transparency and respect for the student-led initiative.”
