USD President and General Counsel uninvite Maddox Lyons from SDSX event 24 hours beforehand

Lyons, transgender teen and published author, uninvited for disputed reasons

Tyler Pugmire / News Editor / The USD Vista

Taylor DeGuzman / Arts & Culture Editor / The USD Vista

Karisa Kampbell / Asst. News Editor / The USD Vista

Maddox Lyons, a 13 year-old transgender teen and published author of picture book “I am Not a Girl” had his invitation to speak at “A Celebration of Gender Expression: Supreme Drag Superstar” (SDSX) revoked by President James T. Harris III, D.Ed., and Tom Skinner, general counsel for USD less than 24 hours before the event began. 

Originally, Lyons was invited to speak at SDSX as a main educational component because of his book — which he wrote as a tool for cis children to build empathy, according to his website. He was uninvited on Thursday, April 22 according to an email from Evelyn Kirkley, Ph.D., co-advisor of the SDSX planning committee. Harris and Skinner revoked the invitation via Zoom call on the claim that risk management protocols were not followed in accordance with university regulations regarding the “appropriate policies for children” that protect the university and children invited to campus, according to Skinner. The SDSX planning committee refutes this narrative. 

Beyond the claims of negligence regarding risk management protocols, SDSX’s co-advisors Kirkley and Greg Prieto, Ph.D. report being told that another reason for why Lyons was no longer invited was because “a drag show is an ‘inappropriate venue’ for a minor to serve as a guest speaker.” According to Kirkley and Prieto this reasoning was brought to their attention by Cynthia Avery, assistant vice president, Student Affairs. However, Skinner disputes that this was the basis for the decision. 

Prieto highlighted in an email sent by Avery, that the policy which claimed children that are expected to be accompanied and supervised at all times by their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are not expected to follow the procedures that fall under a “covered program.” According to the University’s “Child Safety at USD” page, covered programs are “University-operated activities and programs in which Minors will be physically present and participating (both on USD property or at off-campus location).” 

Despite Harris and Skinner’s decision to exclude Lyons from SDSX on Friday, April 23, the SDSX committee decided to make note of the rescinded invitation during the event and shared part of the speech that Lyons had written with the audience, in addition to information on where to find his book.

In SDSX’s official account of the events, Prieto shared his frustration and disappointment regarding the decision to uninvite Lyons from speaking at the drag show. 

“Since Maddox had the complete support of his parents to participate, this decision seems paternalistic at best, censorship at worst,” Prieto wrote. “The decision sent a message to LGBTQ+/TNBGNC [Trans / Non-Binary / Gender Nonconforming] students, faculty, and staff that they are unwelcome and unworthy.”

This is not the first time members of USD’s queer community have felt targeted on campus, especially in regard to the university’s interactions with SDSX. According to an email written by Kirkley, recording and distribution of the drag show was heavily restricted from 2012 to 2019. She also wrote that in 2019 the university asked students and faculty to take down any social media posts regarding the upcoming SDSX show.

“From our perspective, our university leaders engage in this practice of invisibilizing the event in response to conservative blowback to the drag show,” Prieto wrote. “Instead of defending the event as aligned with USD’s Mission and Values and Catholic Social Teaching, the university has consistently sought to contain the event and keep it under wraps.”

From the administrative perspective, USD General Counsel Thomas Skinner was the person who advised Harris via Zoom call to remove Lyons from speaking at the drag show. 

“This decision came strictly from a procedural standpoint, it was not substantive,” Skinner said. The procedure in place comes from the “Policy on Safety of Minors in University Programs and Activities,” which states that all minors that come on campus must register themselves in the Covered Program for Minors Registration System. 

Lyons being uninvited to the event — just 24 hours prior — was shocking to Prieto and SDSX because they believed the university knew that Lyons was speaking at SDSX since the fall. Prieto claimed that the university and administrators were given substantial time to raise any necessary concerns well before the event.

“While Harris and Skinner may have not known about the event directly, it is both Cynthia Avery’s, Assistant Vice President, and Michael Lovette-Colyer’s, Vice President for Mission Integration, responsibility to make sure that the drag show follows the norms of the university,” Prieto said. “Because they were aware that Maddox Lyons was speaking at the event since the fall, and raised no issue, it seemed fairly clear that we were covered by senior administrators.” 

Although senior administrators were allegedly informed about this event in the fall, Skinner claims that the situation was brought to his attention for the first time on Thursday, April 22, which was simply too late for all of the protocols to be followed. The background check section of the policy states that all university employees must “submit to a criminal background check and to receive clearance to participate before they may care for, supervise, work with, or otherwise come into contact with minors who participate in the Covered Program.” 

Skinner stated that this could not be done overnight, and this would apply to any minor that was coming to speak on campus.

According to Skinner, Harris encourages Lyons to come back and speak on campus, whether that be later in the semester or next fall, if he is willing to come back. 

Jess Fernandez De La O, a first-year student who attended the event said that Lyons not showing up was shocking.

 “They had the audience anticipate this guest speaker. Our first assumption was that there was a time conflict, but then they shared that the university uninvited him,” Fernandez De La O said. “Being a contemporary Catholic university who prides itself in being inclusive and understanding, you would think they would be progressive about issues like this. I don’t know why the university uninvited him, but I can only assume it is because they decided they are not comfortable with sharing his story.”

While Skinner continues to emphasize that this decision was simply procedural, there is a long, tumultuous history of the university’s interactions with the LGBTQ+ community that makes it difficult for the community to feel seen, supported, and heard. At this time, there are no plans for Lyons to speak on campus.