OREM, Utah – In a press release, Utah Valley University announced that author and educator Sharon McMahon, along with any other potential speaker candidates, will no longer be speaking at the annual spring 2026 commencement ceremony, citing safety and security concerns.
The Original Plan
UVU had announced via press release and social media that McMahon — a former history teacher and self-described “America’s Government Teacher” — would serve as the keynote speaker for the April 29 ceremony. According to KSL, UVU president Astrid Tuminez called McMahon “a force of nature and a force for good” in announcing the selection. McMahon had previously spoken on campus in 2024 to discuss her book “The Small and the Mighty,” according to Axios.
The Controversy
The selection drew immediate criticism from conservative groups and Utah lawmakers, rooted in social media posts McMahon made in September 2025, two days after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on UVU’s campus.
According to the Daily Herald, a since-deleted post from Sept. 12 included McMahon sharing quotes from Kirk alongside her own commentary, writing that “millions of people feel they were harmed” by what Kirk said, and that “the incredible tragedy of a public assassination does not erase the harm many experienced from his words.”
A spokesperson for McMahon told Axios that she “unequivocally condemned” Kirk’s killing and emphasized that violence has no place in public discourse. Despite that clarification, screenshots of the posts had already circulated widely online.
According to Fox 13, UVU’s Turning Point USA chapter accused McMahon of trying to “tarnish” Kirk’s name. Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy called the UVU’s selection a “tone-deaf decision” on X, and according to KSL, Sen. Mike Lee posted several times on the platform calling for UVU to choose a different speaker.
The decision
UVU announced Thursday that McMahon would not serve as the commencement speaker, citing “increased safety concerns.” The university’s full statement, per a UVU press release, read: “Due to increased safety concerns related to the speaker and in consultation with public safety professionals and Sharon McMahon, Utah Valley University has decided to proceed without a featured commencement speaker for this year’s ceremony.”
When asked to elaborate, a UVU spokesperson told the Daily Herald that the university “cannot elaborate at this time.”
The decision leaves what is currently set to be UVU’s largest graduating class to date with 13,400 graduates, without a keynote address. UVU has not announced plans to select a replacement speaker before the April 29 ceremony.
Student reaction
Not all students were satisfied with the outcome. On UVU’s subreddit, a Change.org petition calling for Post Malone to replace McMahon as commencement speaker had gathered 133 signatures as of publication.
Student opinions were divided. “I want Sharon back,” wrote one anonymous user, adding that McMahon “is exactly the kind of person who should be speaking at a commencement — open minded, literate, articulate, educated, and engaging.” Another suggested the safety concerns cited by UVU may have been genuine, writing, “With some of the crazy stuff I’ve seen people say about her since she was announced as the speaker, I wouldn’t be surprised if people have been threatening her.” Others felt the decision, while disappointing, was understandable. “Let’s just keep politics out of commencement at least this year,” one user wrote.
UVU has not responded to the petition as of publication.
