An Illinois State University graduate student is facing criminal charges after a shocking outburst caught on camera showed him flipping over a Turning Point USA table during a student event — and walking away smugly, saying, “Jesus did it, so you know I gotta do it, right?”
The chaotic incident unfolded earlier this week on ISU’s campus, where Turning Point USA (TPUSA) members had set up a booth to promote an upcoming appearance by political YouTuber and comedian Alex Stein.
In the now-viral footage, 27-year-old Derek Lopez, a teaching assistant and graduate student from El Paso, Illinois, can be seen confronting the group before suddenly hurling the table onto the pavement. Flyers, pins, and pamphlets scatter into the air as stunned students gasp.
NO CLASS: A teacher’s assistant at Illinois State University flips over a Turning Point USA students’ table and tears down flyers promoting an upcoming event. pic.twitter.com/v4yg5eTKMg
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 18, 2025
“Woah!” one witness shouts as Lopez, dressed in red pants and a plaid shirt, smirks and waves. “Thanks guys, have a great day,” he sneers before strolling off.
University police confirmed Friday that Lopez was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. Authorities also allege that Lopez disrupted another student organization’s information booth the same day, though details of that encounter haven’t been made public.
“Everyone has the right to express their opinions peacefully,” said ISU Police Chief Aaron Woodruff in a statement. “We’re committed to protecting free speech and the safety of all members of our community.”
Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
Video of the table-flipping fiasco, shared by Fox News and several conservative commentators, has amassed tens of thousands of views on X (formerly Twitter). Many online accused Lopez of intolerance and hypocrisy.
“Imagine paying $30,000 a year in tuition just to watch your TA throw a tantrum over a student club,” one viewer posted.
Another wrote, “This is exactly what’s wrong with campus culture today. People claim to support free speech — until someone disagrees with them.”
The Illinois State chapter of Turning Point USA has not commented publicly on the incident, but students reportedly plan to increase their presence on campus ahead of Stein’s October 20 event.
The confrontation comes at a time when college campuses across the country are increasingly divided over political expression.
Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization founded by activist Charlie Kirk in 2012, has been at the center of many heated campus debates nationwide.
In a tragic twist, Kirk was shot and killed just over a month ago while speaking to a crowd at Utah Valley University — an event that sent shockwaves through conservative circles.
Stein, who often draws both supporters and hecklers for his politically charged comedy routines, called the Illinois incident “disgraceful” in a post on X.
“Turning Point students have every right to organize on their own campus without being attacked or harassed,” he wrote. “Universities are supposed to be a marketplace of ideas, not a battlefield of emotions.”
Illinois State University officials have since encouraged students to learn about campus free speech policies and “constructive ways to respond when encountering speech they may disagree with.”
Still, for many, the viral video has come to symbolize a growing tension between free expression and ideological intolerance in higher education.
As one commenter put it bluntly: “If a college instructor can’t handle a table, how can they handle a debate?”
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that good