Texas State University’s alleged expulsion of Devion Canty Jr. for mocking the assassination of Charlie Kirk has sparked new outrage after Canty launched a GoFundMe to fund his return to school.
Canty claimed he “had to choose between immediate expulsion or withdrawing from the university. I made the decision to withdraw,” according to what he wrote on his GoFundMe page.
This goes against what Gov. Greg Abbott publicly demanded as a consequence: his expulsion. The university responded by saying the “individual is no longer a student at TXST.”
Canty’s fundraiser, which has received over $33,000 in donations as of Friday afternoon, comes after the former student went viral for a video showing him cursing, spitting, and pretending to be shot at during a memorial for Charlie Kirk on campus.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the video, which gained millions of views, captured Canty walking up to a statue during the vigil mourning Kirk and slapping his neck while shouting, “Charlie Kirk got hit in the neck, b—h,” before pretending to collapse. Canty can also be seen pushing his way through the students at the vigil and spitting at their feet.
University officials, including President Kelly Damphousse, described the behavior as “reprehensible” in a post earlier this month, stating that the university would not tolerate such actions.
Rather than accepting accountability and the consequences for his actions, Canty has created a fundraiser, claiming he is being unfairly labeled and needs financial help to continue his education.
In a statement on the GoFundMe, Canty writes that he made a “mistake in the heat of the moment” but insists he did not harm anyone and hopes to be welcomed back to Texas State.
Canty appears to blame those around him at the vigil for prompting his behavior, claiming he was disrespected, including being spat on and being called racial slurs. However, there is no evidence to support his claims in the viral video. The opposite was presented: Canty walked through the crowd, bolstered himself on the way, and stood in front of everyone to continue his display of hate.
And yet, Canty writes on his GoFundMe page: “Unfortunately, the only public narrative out there is that I am an ‘out-of-control, disrespectful young Black man.’”
Out of the 95 newest donations to Canty’s GoFundMe, approximately 52% were submitted under the name “Anonymous.”
The page has drawn some sharp criticism from many online, who feel it is deeply inappropriate to solicit donations after publicly mocking the death of another American.
Abbott has not given any update on the student’s status as of the time of publication.
Texas State University and Damphousse have also not responded to an inquiry from The Dallas Express, seeking confirmation of whether Canty was expelled if he withdrew from the university.