- At a closed-door meeting in April, Micah Beckwith and members of what the Indiana lieutenant governor called his Anti-Woke Advisory Committee laid out an aggressive strategy to expand conservative influence in public schools and push back against what the group identified as “woke policy creep.”
The committee detailed plans to launch conservative student clubs, reshape teacher training programs, and identify school districts where diversity and pro-LGBTQ+ policies are in place, according to meeting notes obtained by The Indiana Citizen and verified as authentic by a person familiar with the committee. Many of the discussion topics were aimed at ramping up political pressure on school boards.
Those at the table represented a cross section of Indiana’s conservative movement. Attendees included Indiana Family Institute executive director Ryan McCann and education director Martin Strother. Former Attorney General Curtis Hill—who lost his 2020 renomination bid after his law license was suspended over groping allegations—joined by video, a reminder of his ongoing presence in some GOP circles. Also present was Jay Hart, a Morgan County conservative who unsuccessfully challenged state Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray in a 2024 Republican primary.
The only sitting lawmaker in the room was state Sen. Craig Haggard, R-Mooresville. Haggard has since criticized Beckwith’s handling of allegations that around the same time the April meeting took place, staffers in the lieutenant governor’s office viewed a deepfake pornographic video of Haggard’s wife.
Rounding out the group were Fishers photographer Shayre Rivotto; Allie Madden, a Marion County state GOP convention delegate; conservative activist and social-media figure Ken Colbert of Evansville, who attended via video; and someone identified as Valerie Swank.
What isn’t made clear by the meeting notes is how committee members were chosen, whether they have continued meeting and what actions the group has taken since April. Beckwith’s office, the Indiana Family Institute and Haggard did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the meeting.
Hill confirmed his participation in Beckwith’s anti-woke committee in an email, saying the two have had “enjoyed a close professional relationship for several years” and that he offered to help Beckwith.
“The lieutenant governor believes, as do I, that the issue of ‘wokeness’ as characterized by overt political correctness primarily in the area of race and gender has had a harmful impact on the American constitutional standard of ‘equal under the law,’” Hill said.
“I believe very strongly and support diversity as a positive attribute to any outcome. However, when diversity becomes the objective over excellence or inclusion is mandated out of fear, it becomes appropriate for us to examine and restore our first principles to find a true and just result. This advisory committee is an opportunity for the lieutenant governor to gain insight into an issue of growing concern to his constituents and to seek counsel on addressing an issue that has proven very divisive to state and national interests. I look forward to contributing to this dialogue.”
Conservative culture in high schools
According to the meeting notes, the committee formed by Beckwith, a self-identified Christian nationalist, focused on specific steps to launch conservative clubs in schools and target teachers, education colleges, and programs they see as promoting pro-LGBTQ+ content or “leftist ideology.”
Members discussed creating “Conservative Club Kits” with shirts, hats and stickers and developing a youth branding campaign built around the slogan, “It’s Cool to Be Conservative.” The effort would be coordinated with Turning Point USA, a national conservative youth organization founded by right-wing media personality Charlie Kirk.
Attendees identified several potential roadblocks to launching Turning Point USA chapters, including liberal teachers counteracting conservative messages and difficulty finding teachers to sponsor the groups in places like Zionsville.
Beckwith already has a relationship with Turning Point USA. In July, the Noblesville church where he is a pastor, Life Church, hosted Rob McCoy, a senior pastor of a California chapel and representative of Turning Point USA.
In April, Beckwith also visited Purdue University’s Turning Point USA chapter when it hosted Charlie Kirk and posted praise of the event, writing: “Seeing the next generation of bold, courageous leaders rise up to defend faith, family, freedom, and liberty reminds me why I do what I do. These students aren’t backing down—they’re standing up for truth in a world that desperately needs it. Let’s keep fueling the fire of freedom. The American comeback starts with them—and it starts right here in the Heartland.”
Targeting Center Grove, teacher education programs
According to the meeting notes, committee members also raised concerns about teacher preparation programs at Indiana universities, which they accused of embedding DEI and progressive ideology. Recommendations included a statewide audit, requirements for curriculum transparency, and mandates that training emphasize the U.S. Constitution, free-market economics and character education.
The group identified Center Grove Community School Corporation as “Ground Zero for woke policy creep,” pointing to the continuation of DEI and LGBTQ+-inclusive programming despite the area’s conservative reputation.
As a response, group members proposed a quarterly “Woke Radar Report” to track what they consider “problem districts” and to give Beckwith a platform to pressure local school boards. The report, the meeting notes show, would function both as a watchdog tool and a political instrument, spotlighting schools where progressive policies are growing.
Another recommendation included in the meeting notes: “Use Lt. Governor’s bully pulpit to pressure school boards.”
Stacy Conrad, the executive director of communications for Center Grove Community School Corporation, said the school corporation was not aware of the advisory committee nor the contents of the April meeting.
Commenting on behalf of the board, Conrad wrote: “Our corporation’s vision is that all students receive an exceptional educational experience. Our teachers and staff work every day to ensure every student feels welcome and supported in our classrooms.”
The discussion came as Beckwith backed a measure that would shift Indiana to partisan school board elections. Ultimately, lawmakers opted to allow school board candidates to declare their partisan affiliations but did not require it.
Another topic aimed at ramping up political pressure on school boards discussed in the meeting, the notes say, is legislation that would require school boards to sign off on sex-education curriculum. A version of that proposal became law.
Enforcing ‘patriotic and conservative laws’
The group also discussed ways to enforce “patriotic and conservative laws,” the notes show. Among the topics of discussion was an existing state law requiring the display of the American flag at schools and other tax-supported institutions, with the notes claiming that compliance was lacking. Members noted that the law has no teeth and is widely unenforced.
To address this, the committee recommended drafting new legislation that would add financial penalties for schools or institutions that fail to comply, create a 30-day “correction window” before fines take effect, and extend the requirement to include display of the Indiana state flag alongside the U.S. flag.
According to the meeting notes, Hill was tapped to spearhead the effort by drafting legislation for the 2026 session that would add these enforcement provisions and penalties.
Targeting Indiana Youth Group
Committee members also raised concerns about diversity, equity and inclusion and social-emotional learning programs, with the notes claiming that such initiatives were continuing quietly in schools despite recent administrative and legislative changes.
According to the notes, participants alleged that some teachers were still displaying LGBTQ+ flags and classroom décor to signal political leanings, which were described as a way to “push agendas.”
The committee extended its focus beyond classrooms to nonprofit organizations, recommending audits of groups with state-issued specialty license plates to ensure they were in compliance with what they called “anti-DEI executive orders.” The Indianapolis Youth Group, which provides services and support to LGBTQ+ youth, was specifically named for review, with members questioning whether it had received public grants through its BMV plate program.
Indianapolis Youth Group CEO Chris Paulsen said the organization is well within its right to promote its services and viewpoints while adhering to all state and federal regulations governing nonprofits, along with those established by the Indiana BMV for groups with registered license plate designs.
“In the past, we have defended our right to these specialty plates in court against unlawful interference. The funds generated from these plates directly support young people across Indiana—providing food, clothing, and resources for those experiencing homelessness and financial hardship,” Paulsen said. “We believe organizations like IYG are often subjected to disproportionate scrutiny simply because we serve LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, a population that is too often attacked and demonized by politicians. We remain committed to standing firm in our mission and defending the rights of the young people who rely on us.”
Anti-woke legal defense for school boards
To give conservative-majority school boards confidence in rolling back DEI or pro-LGBTQ+ measures, the committee discussed establishing an Indiana Anti-Woke Legal Defense Fund. Members argued that fear of litigation had prevented boards from acting, citing concerns over the high cost of lawsuits if they attempted to eliminate DEI offices or remove LGBTQ+-inclusive materials. They proposed tapping legal assistance from national advocacy groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom and drawing on the Indiana Family Institute for additional policy support.
The committee also raised the possibility of asking Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office to defend districts in certain cases but emphasized that a dedicated legal defense fund would give school boards more certainty and independence to move forward with policy changes. It’s unclear whether any coordination effort was made prior to the meeting with the attorney general’s office.
The meeting concluded with an action checklist assigning tasks to Beckwith’s office and members of the committee, according to the notes.
Tasks assigned to Beckwith’s office included promoting Turning Point USA chapters in high schools, launching the “Cool to be Conservative” youth branding effort, investigating the Indiana Youth Group and similar nonprofits’ funding, auditing teacher education programs, beginning the “Woke Radar Report,” and drafting legislation to allow the removal of disruptive students from classrooms. Hill was assigned to draft the flag enforcement bill, and the Indiana Family Institute was to work on a legal defense partnership.
