Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, spoke at Genoa-Kingston High School on Thursday during a Turning Point USA event cohosted by the U.S. Department of Education, which also spawned some local protests.

The “History Rocks” assembly – part of a nationwide campaign by the DOE tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary – was organized by the high school’s Turning Point USA, Club America chapter – a nonprofit founded in 2012 by the late Charlie Kirk.

Sue Willey, one of the organizers of the ReSisters, was at the protest held across from the high school. Protesters and members of the media weren’t allowed inside for the event. The ReSisters have held many protests over the past year in DeKalb County, in opposition to President Donald Trump’s administration and federal policies.

“We saw this advertised that this was going to happen, so we decided to protest because we really don’t think religion should be in public schools,” Willey said.

The assembly – which district officials told Shaw Local was optional for students to attend and meant to teach about the country’s history specifically – was expected to start at 2:30 p.m. The press was not allowed inside the school. The Genoa-Kingston School District 424’s teachers’ union issued a statement this week asking the district to move the timing of the event out of concerns over safety for students and the community. School buses weren’t expected to arrive for pickup until 3 p.m., they said.

According to videos circulating on the social media platform TikTok, Erika Kirk was seen walking onto a stage as a crowd waved American flags in the air. It’s not clear who else spoke at the event, and details were not publicized.

There didn’t appear to be many, if any, students among the about three dozen protesters gathered outside Thursday. The protest began about 2 p.m., with most in attendance tapering off an hour later.

But during the demonstration, Marilu Mercado, a Genoa-Kingston High School junior, came out of the building and spoke with Shaw Local. She said some students didn’t attend school on Thursday because they were scared of the atmosphere the event had created, or wanted to protest the school’s decision to allow the assembly.

She still attended classes but said she felt “a lot of tension” during the school day.

“I was getting weird stares because of my shirt, obviously, I expected that because a lot of my friends and people who don’t disagree with this weren’t going to be there,” Marilu Mercado said.

She wore a shirt that said “I came to learn not to feel targeted” on the front. On the back, it read “Is my freedom of speech offending you?”

“This assembly caused a lot of people to put stickers in the bathrooms that said ‘pro rights, pro equality,’ right, and a lot of people had a problem with that, which I don’t understand why, and it just really hurt me a lot,” Marilu Mercado said, reporting that the stickers were being ripped off.

Her sister, Ludyka Mercado, a 2020 Genoa-Kingston High School graduate, said she supported her younger sister.

“I’m really proud, as a first-generation Latina, she is doing really good at speaking up,” Ludyka Mercado said.

Ludyka Mercado said she came back to her alma mater to file a complaint about the school event and to support and protect her sister.

“We’re all human, and we need to think as humans and not do anything inhumane,” Ludyka Mercado said.

Protesters say event shouldn’t be affiliated with schools

Protesters said they were opposed to the event in Genoa because they believe that organizations backing it aren’t safe for everyone.

Willey said she thinks Turning Point USA is opposed to gay rights, and wants to frame history to their ideology.

“I think they want to change history, and that’s a big thing, too,” Willey said.

The Thursday event in Genoa was part of a planned nationwide initiative that the federal government has said will bring history into schools in all 50 states. The events are through what the federal government is calling the America 250 Civics Education Coalition, in collaboration with the DOE, Turning Point, America First Policy Institute and Hillsdale College.

“This landmark initiative is dedicated to renewing patriotism, strengthening civic knowledge and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles in schools across the nation,” according to the DOE’s website.

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A gathering protests Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in front of Genoa-Kingston High School. The group is protesting the “History Rocks” assembly which is part of a nationwide campaign by the U.S Department of Education tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary and organized by the high school’s Turning Point USA, Club America chapter, a nonprofit founded in 2012 by the late Charlie Kirk. (Mark Busch)

The private assembly was only open to district students and families, said Genoa police on Wednesday. Police and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office provided additional patrols for public safety, they said.

According to Turning Point USA’s website, the organization’s mission is “to identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government.” The website touts capitalism, the Constitution and declares that America “is the greatest country in the history of the world.”

Thursday’s protest, which also was backed by the DeKalb County chapter of the Democratic Party, appeared largely peaceful. About three counter-protesters appeared in support of the History Rocks assembly.

Candy Smith, who gathered with the ReSisters, said she thinks Turning Point USA “indoctrinates youth.”

One man who was arriving at the school yelled for the protesters to “go home.”

Numerous cars passing by on Route 72 honked in apparent approval of the protesters.

The driver of a car with two American flags flying in the back and “Trump” written on a side window passed by the protesters multiple times while revving the engine.

Ted McCarron, of DeKalb, was among three who stood along Route 72 in support of the Turning Point USA event.

He held a sign that showed his support for Turing Point USA, which also garnered honks in apparent support. He said he’s a former substitute teacher, but didn’t say where he taught. He claimed he’s witnessed what he called “left-wing propaganda” involving people in the LGBTQ+ community in public schools.

McCarron said he thinks Turning Point USA is “morally decent,” and believes there’s nothing hateful about the group. He accused progressive groups of being hateful, and expressed anti-transgender views, but said he doesn’t support killing trans people.

“Now we have one conservative group, finally, at one school and they are throwing a fit about it,” McCarron said.

Smith, Willey and others in their group said they were not, and have not, been paid to protest.

“You know, Trump is real good at accusing the left of all of the things he cooks up in his head,” protester Deirdre Meim said.

“We mean no harm, no violence,” protester Jan Loomer said. “We just want our voices heard.”

This story was updated at 6:35 p.m. Feb. 5, 2026.