Colorado college student claims he was spat on, harassed for drawing Bible verses on campus
A Colorado State University student claimed he was spat on and nearly assaulted while chalking Bible verses during a campus protest shortly before Thanksgiving break.
Blake Jones, a Catholic and member of the university’s Turning Point USA chapter, told Fox News Digital that he and three other students with TPUSA attended a Nov. 19 protest in the Lory Student Center Plaza that opposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity on campus and federal directives against diversity, equity and inclusion in education.
The demonstration was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, the Young Democratic Socialists of America, and other left-leaning student groups, according to the student newspaper, The Rocky Mountain Collegian.
Jones said they intended to engage other students in conversation and write down Bible verses. The university has long permitted chalking on the plaza as part of its policies supporting free expression.
“We were just going to write stuff in chalk and ask everyone why they were so for illegal immigration and so against ICE, as long as ICE is following the law,” Jones told Fox News Digital. “They never gave us fair answers — they just kept calling us racist and saying things like ‘no one is illegal on stolen land.’”
Jones said earlier in the day, several religious chalk messages had been altered or overwritten, including “abortion is murder,” which was changed to “abortion is awesome,” and “God loves you,” which was edited to “God loves trans people.”
Students also drew a transgender depiction of Jesus Christ over a large chalk cross and replaced a Bible verse with a pro-transgender message.
“On our campus Christianity seems to be the only religion people feel comfortable openly mocking,” he said. “I see anti-Christian messages in the plaza every single day, but never anything close to that level directed toward other faiths.”
Jones, who was wearing a red MAGA hat, said he began chalking Bible verses when two students approached him from behind, asked what he was doing, and quickly became confrontational. He said one student used profanity, mocked him as a “bad Christian,” and questioned whether Jesus would approve of his supposed “hateful beliefs.”
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Jones said he attempted to ignore the students and politely asked to be left alone. At that point, he said, the student became enraged.
“He immediately raised his hands, stiffened his body, his face contorted, and he screamed, ‘What the f— did you just say to me?’” Jones recalled. “This is when he charged at me with his fists raised. I do not have a doubt in my mind that he was planning on striking me.”
A nearby student stepped between them and stopped the punch, Jones said.
Roughly 10 minutes later, Jones returned to finish chalking the verse when the same student confronted him again.
“He repeatedly told me to ‘go away, back to my weirdo loser racist friends,’” Jones said. “And he kept telling me to ‘stick that hat right up your a–.’”
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Jones said he knelt down to continue chalking when the student became “visibly agitated,” shouted “f— you” and spat at him.
“I found the blob of spit on the back of my pants, and subsequently went to wash it off and report the incident to authorities,” he said.
Sahara Bradley, a TPUSA member who accompanied Jones, confirmed his account and said she was also mocked for her faith.
“I am a firm believer in always listening to both sides even if I don’t agree with one,” she said. “When I showed up at this protest I felt as though I should get that same respect. Unfortunately, that was not the case.”
Bradley said she attempted to debate two Democratic students about the chalked transgender Jesus but said they instead mocked Christianity, calling her religion “dumb” and claiming Christians “worship air.”
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After the spitting incident, Bradley said she and Jones sat on the chalked cross and prayed.
“We prayed for the people who drew the cross, because they don’t know the sin they had just committed,” she said. “We prayed for the Christian community who are fighting this battle alongside us. Lastly, we prayed that God protect us during this time. I have never felt so unsafe even in a small crowd ever. It was horrific and honestly sad.”
Hannah Hines, another CSU student and outreach coordinator for the TPUSA chapter, said she, too, witnessed students chalking over religious messages after the protest.
“It was a bit of a realization that they really don’t care about how their actions affect others and are often looking to get a rise out of us,” she said. “It’s disheartening, and I’m hoping and praying it’s something we can work to change.”
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Jones said that after speaking with police, he returned to finish the Bible verse and continued chalking Christian messages around the plaza. He said it was important for students with similar beliefs to not give up when faced with hostility on campus.
“Backing down to these people and giving up is the absolute worst thing you can do,” he said. “They try to intimidate you to force you to back down, to force you to give up, and if we as Christians continue to persevere and spread the message of Christ, that is the only way we will be able to stand up to and beat this offensive, seemingly violent, and seemingly anti-Christian culture.”
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Jones said there was no police presence at the protest and that it took about 25 minutes for an officer to arrive after he reported the assault. When he requested campus security footage of the incident, he said the records office told him five of six cameras in the area were not functioning at the time.
CSU police confirmed to Fox News Digital that an active investigation is underway.
The Turning Point students said they did not know if Jones’ attacker was affiliated with any of the left-leaning student groups at the protest. Fox News Digital has attempted to reach out to the student groups present at the protest — the YDSA, SJP, Colorado Young Dems, Students for Emancipation and Social Liberation and The People United CSU — for comment.
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