Texas Student Testifies on Death Threats After Challenging Islamic Booth at High School

A Texas high school student who went viral after confronting an Islamic group on his campus told members of Congress last week that he has received death threats for speaking out.

Marco Hunter-Lopez, a 16-year-old at Wylie East High School and president of the campus Republican Club, testified May 13 before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution and Limited Government. The hearing was titled "Sharia-Free America."

Hunter-Lopez described an incident on Feb. 2 when he encountered four adult women from the group "Why Islam?" at a booth on campus. The women were handing out hijabs to female students, copies of the Quran that included conversion instructions, and a pamphlet titled "Understanding Sharia."

He said he received death threats after posting videos of the booth online. "I had people saying that they were going to be at my house waiting for me to get home and they were going to shoot me," Hunter-Lopez told the subcommittee. "I had people telling me to kill myself. A lot of different things. But I know nobody can proclaim anything over me because I wake up every morning with victory with Christ."

In his testimony, Hunter-Lopez argued that Sharia law conflicts with the U.S. Constitution and American values. He said the outside group violated school policy and parental rights by distributing materials to minors without approval.

During the hearing, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned the purpose of the session and asked whether the country needed laws targeting specific religious groups. Hunter-Lopez responded by noting that most signers of the Declaration of Independence were church-attending Christians. He later told Fox News Digital that Raskin repeatedly cut him off before he could finish his point.

Hunter-Lopez also testified that the Republican Club faced hostile scrutiny from school officials since it launched last year. He said administrators initially denied the club for being too political, targeted its posters, and applied policies unevenly to religious and political groups.

Wylie Independent School District rejected the claims of viewpoint discrimination. A spokesperson said the district remains neutral on religion and does not operate Islamic prayer rooms or give preferential treatment to any group. The district described the Feb. 2 incident as a procedural breakdown in which a required verification step for visitors was missed.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who invited Hunter-Lopez to testify, said the incident was not isolated. He pointed to more than 300 mosques in Texas and proposals for Muslim-only cities. Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, also said the event was intentional and had happened before.

Hunter-Lopez credited his faith and community for giving him the courage to speak out. He said more students have become willing to share their views since the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.