by Nneka Iweanya | Owl Staff
Aden Rusfeldt, center, leader of the extremist religious group, “Key of David,” holds up a derogatory sign while visiting the HCC college campus on October 2.
Hate Arrives at HCC Campus
Students arriving for class on October 2nd encountered a scene that many described as shocking, tense, and deeply unsettling. In the quad outside Harford Community College’s Student Center, a crowd formed around a group of strangers standing beneath the shade structures. Posters with inflammatory messages lined the area while a man with a megaphone shouted insults at passersby.
That man was Aden Rusfeldt, leader of the Key of David Christian Center, a group known across the East Coast for aggressive campus demonstrations targeting women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and racial minorities. The organization refers to its actions as “evangelism,” but many students interpreted their presence as harassment disguised as religion.
“They stay here to be hurtful. When you let them here once, they just keep coming back.”
Within minutes, students began to gather—some confused, some angry, and others stepping up to counter-protest. The quiet walkways between classes quickly turned into a confrontation zone.
Student Experiences of Hate
“As students are walking to class, they are being called whores, sluts—just being shamed. They said I was going to hell because of my tube top,” says student Zoe Spry, who held a bright protest sign reading “Hate is Fart!” She adds, “They stay here to be hurtful. When you let them here once, they just keep coming back. You’ve got to stop it when it starts.”
Student Zoe Spry, holds up a “Hate is Fart” sign to counter-protest the “Key of David” members ‘messaging.
Numerous students reported hearing racial slurs shouted into the crowd. Student Kashaun Martin adds, “They said Black women don’t have logic,” noting that the remark only amplified the anger among students. Other statements targeted women broadly, claiming they should “stay in the kitchen” and “serve men.”
Left to right, students Uziel Arroyo, Farelle, and Jaylen Adkins detail the events they witnessed and speak up against the derogatory language directed at them.
Student Logan Funkhouser described feeling disturbed. “He was saying that women should only belong in the kitchen, that they are servants,” Funkhouser explains. “I feel really bad for the kids and the women with them—they look like they don’t even want to be here.”
Students were alarmed at the presence of young children who appeared to be part of the group. Witnesses reported seeing toddlers and young girls in strollers for extended hours without food or water. “They had the kids in the heat all day… publicly embarrassing them. Who knows what effect this will have on their mental health,” one student commented.
Another student, Angel Franco, described the rhetoric as manipulative. “He’s using Christianity to scare young individuals into things they don’t believe,” Franco says. “He’s using Christianity to promote fascism.” Many students echoed that belief, arguing that the group’s goal wasn’t faith, but the spread of hate.
Student Jaylen Adkins said he confronted Rusfeldt directly. “I asked him if his daughter [was] sexually assaulted, would he force her to have the baby,” Adkins says. He asked the question because “you never know what someone is going through.”
Student Farelle said the display made him uneasy about the community beyond this single event. “Even if they are trolling, you’re reminding people of trauma,” he says. “Imagine the people who think this way but have weapons. I walk around campus and someone might agree with this guy. That’s what really threatens me.”
“He’s using Christianity to scare young individuals into things they don’t believe.”
Student Riley Mason agreed. “I feel like this is going to give a place on campus for people who believe the same things. They’re going to feel comfortable because of this, and that’s terrifying.”
Pattern of Harassment and Lawsuits
Key of David’s reputation goes beyond hateful speech. Students believe the group incites conflict in order to provoke lawsuits against schools or individuals. Their members often arrive with police or private security, as they did at HCC.
In June 2025, at Reading Senior High School in Pennsylvania, the group provoked similar chaos. Rusfeldt shouted at students, calling them “whores” and claiming suicidal students “needed God.” When police arrested him, he attempted to sue two officers and the school district. The lawsuit was later dropped.
“Key of David” members, with children in the background, hold up explicit signs.
Why Did HCC Allow Them on Campus?
Many students and parents questioned why the school allowed the group to assemble in such a visible space.
“As a federally funded, public institution we are required to uphold everyone’s First Amendment rights.”
HCC’s Chief Communications Officer, Nancy Dysard, acknowledged the community’s concerns. She stated that while the group’s messaging does not align with the college’s values, “as a federally funded, public institution we are required to uphold everyone’s First Amendment rights.” She emphasized that allowing them on campus does not mean the college agrees with their views.
Hate Speech, Free Speech, and Community Response
The Key of David website reads, “TRUE LOVE WARNS. 99% of you reading this page are headed to hellfire.” Their rhetoric continues to spark anger and division at schools across the region.
Yet what stood out most to many HCC students on October 2nd was not the presence of hate—but the response to it. Instead of meeting hostility with fear, students formed new alliances, supported one another, and used their voices to reject bigotry. Some even said they made friends while counter-protesting, united by the belief that college should be a space for learning, not intimidation.
The event sparked questions about free speech, the cost of protecting it, and what communities must do when hateful voices appear under its protection. As students showed, the answer may lie in a different kind of expression: collective resistance, respect for others, and a shared commitment to the values that make education possible.
Free speech does not require silence from those who oppose hate. At HCC, students proved that speaking out together can be more powerful than any megaphone.