Wisconsin University Professor Placed on Leave After Allegedly Flipping College Republicans' Table
Sarah Johnson
April 2, 2025
Brief
UW-Eau Claire placed English Department Chair José Felipe Alvergue on leave after he allegedly flipped the College Republicans' table during an Election Day campus event, sparking investigation.
The University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is making headlines after a professor was placed on administrative leave for allegedly flipping over the College Republicans' table during an on-campus event on Election Day. The accused faculty member is none other than English Department Chair José Felipe Alvergue.
Interim Provost Michael Carney confirmed the incident, expressing his dismay in a statement: "I am deeply concerned that our students’ peaceful effort to share information on campus on election day was disrupted. UW-Eau Claire strongly supports every person’s right to free speech and free expression, and the university remains committed to ensuring that campus is a place where a wide variety of opinions and beliefs can be shared and celebrated." Carney also emphasized the importance of civil dialogue and peaceful engagement as fundamental to the university experience.
The incident reportedly occurred as the College Republicans were promoting their conservative-backed candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Superintendent positions. Both candidates lost the election. Tatiana Bobrowicz, chair of the College Republicans at UW-Eau Claire, described the event on Instagram, stating, "A professor came up and flipped our table in a violent attack towards us. This is unacceptable." She added that the university has confirmed the perpetrator’s identity as Alvergue.
Carney mentioned that the university is working closely with the Universities of Wisconsin and the Office of General Counsel to conduct a thorough investigation. In the meantime, Alvergue has been placed on administrative leave. No response has been received from him regarding the allegations.
The swift action from university officials has been acknowledged. Mark Pitsch, UW’s director of media relations, commented, "We appreciate that UW-Eau Claire has taken swift action, and we will be working with them to conduct the investigation."
While the university has taken steps to address this controversy, it’s a stark reminder of the heated tensions that can erupt in political discourse, even in academic settings where free speech is supposed to thrive. It’s safe to say this Election Day didn’t quite go as planned for anyone involved.
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Editor's Comments
This whole episode feels like a masterclass in how *not* to handle political disagreements on campus. Flipping a table? Really? It’s almost cartoonish. If this is how the head of the English Department expresses disagreement, one has to wonder what the essays he grades look like. On a serious note, it's a reminder that universities need to double down on fostering true dialogue—without the theatrics.
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