On Tuesday, University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire (UWEC) Professor Jose Felipe Alvergue went completely unhinged at seeing a College Republicans table on Election Day.
The professor, who is chair of the English Department, claims that the group was too close to the polling location and proceeded to flip their table supporting former state Attorney General Brad Schimel.
Am I crazy for thinking that a guy named José Felipe Alvergue, who was born in El Salvador, being the chair of the English department at a University in Wisconsin is weird?
— Michael Hios (@MichaelHios) April 2, 2025
WSAU reports:
According to the group, the UW-Eau Claire high-ranking department chair and professor has been identified by the university as Jose Felipe Alvergue, who is allegedly under investigation after he was seen on a video on X walking away from the incident with the group’s table flipped, with their papers, belongings, and materials scattered on the ground.
The UWEC College Republican Chair, Tatiana Bobrowicz, spoke about the matter in a posted statement on X regarding the incident, saying, “This morning around 8:30, we had just finished setting up our table for election day when a professor came up and flipped our table in a violent attack towards us. This is unacceptable, and the university has since confirmed that this attacker was the chair of the university’s English Department. Once again, this kind of violent attack will not be tolerated.”
Chair of the UWEC College Republicans: "The university has since confirmed that this attacker was the Chair of the University's English Department." pic.twitter.com/rRcR9u7M4G
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) April 1, 2025
In an interview with Wisconsin Right Now, Bobrowicz stated she was at the table when the incident occurred and that Alvergue had claimed they were too close to the university’s polling location before he said, “The time is over,” and flipped their table, which led the group to file a police report and speak to the university’s community relations liaison.
UW-Eau Claire Interim Provost Michael Carney also stated, “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 the campus is a place where a wide variety of opinions and beliefs can be shared and celebrated. Civil dialogue is a critical part of the university experience, and peaceful engagement is fundamental to learning itself.”
Carney confirmed that Alvergue has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the situation.