Politics
University Faculty Member Arrested For Destroying TPUSA Table
An Illinois State University faculty member has been arrested after he was accused of flipping over a student-run Turning Point USA table and tearing down promotional fliers on campus last week.
Footage shows Derek Lopez, a 27-year-old graduate student and teaching assistant at the university speaking to a man standing near the table, which was set up by students to promote an upcoming event featuring conservative political comedian Alex Stein. An irate Lopez can then be seen flipping the table.
“Well, you know, Jesus did it, so you know I gotta do it, right?” Lopez told the man before pulling the table forward, causing all of its contents to spill on the ground. He then fully flipped it over before sneering, “Thanks guys, have a great day,” while walking away with a wave.
As he was leaving the area, Lopez could also be seen ripping down fliers for the event posted on a nearby bulletin board. Lopez also allegedly disrupted and vandalized a second informational table hosted by the student activist group, according to Illinois State University Police.
On Friday, the teaching assistant was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. Police said the case is pending and may be grounds for additional charges and university disciplinary action, Fox News reported.
WATCH: A teacher assistant at Illinois State University flipped over a @tpusastudents table and tore down flyers promoting an upcoming @alexstein99 event.
🎥 @jessburback @tpusastudents pic.twitter.com/ydhIfcEa24
— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) October 17, 2025
“We are committed to protecting the First Amendment rights as well as safety of everyone in our campus community,” Police Chief Aaron Woodruff said in a statement.
“We encourage all members of our community to learn more about free speech rights and responsibilities at Illinois State University, including constructive ways to respond when encountering speech they may disagree with,” the statement continued.
Turning Point USA was founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated by a far-left extremist while speaking with students at Utah Valley University on September 10. The robust conservative youth organization has widely been credited with playing a massive role in shifts among younger voters observed in the 2024 presidential election, while the Kirk-founded Turning Point Action played a key role in organizing and registering voters.
In the weeks following Kirk’s death, Turning Point has reported a massive surge in requests for new chapters on college and high school campuses across the United States. Just six days after Kirk’s murder, the organization reported that it had received more than 54,000 requests for new chapters.
