A campus TA’s rampage at Illinois State just crushed Turning Point USA’s free speech—his three-word taunt stunned all. 😡
He flipped Turning Point USA’s table, ripped their flyers to shreds, then smirked with a three-word jab that mocked faith and sparked chaos. Students froze, cameras rolled, and the quad’s now a warzone… What’s the real fire behind this outburst?
Uncover the full clash ➡️
A twisted Illinois State University faculty member was arrested after allegedly flipping a Turning Point USA table on campus this week, viral video shows.
The accused vandal, Derek Lopez, was caught on camera speaking to a man standing near the table — which had been set up by students in the group to promote political YouTuber and comedian Alex Stein’s Oct. 20 event at the university, according to video, local police and various X posts about the ugly incident.
“Well, you know, Jesus did it, so you know I gotta do it, right?” Lopez, 27, of El Paso, Ill. — a teacher’s assistant and graduate student at the university — tells the man before the footage shows him tossing the table over, sending pins, flyers and other items rocketing into the air.
Lopez who sports red pants, a black and red flannel and a bun in the clip, is then seen taking off with a wave.
“Thanks guys, have a great day,” he sneers.
Lopez – who allegedly disrupted a second informational table hosted by a student organization – was arrested by cops on Friday, and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property, the Illinois State University Police Department wrote on Facebook.
Details about the second incident were not immediately available.
Video of him tossing the Turning Point USA table, which has amassed nearly 50,000 views on Fox News’ X profile since it was posted Saturday afternoon, has sparked fierce backlash online, where thousands of commenters have called on the university to act.
“Imagine paying $30K a year for tuition just to see your TA reenact a toddler meltdown in 4K. No class, literally,” one user wrote.
“Actions like that show a complete lack of respect for free speech and open debate. College should be about ideas, not tantrums and censorship,” another said.
“He should not be in any class with those temper tantrums,” another echoed.
University Police Department Chief Aaron Woodruff said in a statement they are “committed to protecting the First Amendment rights as well as safety of everyone in our campus community.”
“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,” Woodruff said.
The campus Turning Point USA group did not immediately respond to inquiries.