“I was very scared to continue tabling. I knew we had to because backing down would be worse” – UW-Eau Claire College Republicans Chair Tatiana Bobrowicz.
The chair of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire College Republicans says a man flipped over their table on campus today with Brad Schimel and Brittany Kinser literature, and they say a top university official told them the suspect is a college professor and department chair.
The chair, Tatiana Bobrowicz, told WRN that a top university official had identified the suspect as José Felipe Alvergue. His name has been widely reported in other media.
There is now an open citation for disorderly conduct against Alvergue, who filed a not guilty plea.
UW Eau-Claire says the faculty member has been put on leave while the incident is investigated.
“I am deeply concerned that our students’ peaceful effort to share information on campus on election day was disrupted,” UW-Eau Claire Interim Provost Michael Carney said in a statement to WRN.
“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,” he added. “Civil dialogue is a critical part of the university experience, and peaceful engagement is fundamental to learning itself. We are working with the Universities of Wisconsin and the Office of General Counsel, which is conducting a comprehensive investigation of this matter. The faculty member involved has been placed on administrative leave pending that investigation.”
Tatiana Bobrowicz said she was personally present when the suspect walked up to the table on campus and confronted the students. The college Republicans shared video of the aftermath, which shows the table flipped over with Schimel literature scattered on the ground.
Violent Crawford supporter flipped our table this morning. Vote Schimel to bring back justice and civility! pic.twitter.com/0RttOLdMkf
— UWEC College Republicans (@UWEC_CR) April 1, 2025
The suspect told them they were too close to the polling place, Bobrowicz says. She says they weren’t. Then he said, “The time for this is over,” and “That’s when he flipped the table,” she told Wisconsin Right Now in an interview.
Schimel was the conservative candidate for state Supreme Court. He is running against liberal Judge Susan Crawford in an election that conservatives believed could determine control of Congress. Kinser is an education reform candidate who ran against incumbent Jill Underly for DPI.
The students called the police and filed a report. Bobrowicz says they spoke with Jake Wrasse, UW-EC’s legislative and community relations liaison, and that he told them the suspect’s name and confirmed he was the department chair who is also a professor. She said the suspect looked like the professor’s photo.
WRN has requests for comment out to the professor, Wrasse, UW-Eau Claire media relations, UW-Eau Claire police, and the head of the Universities of Wisconsin’s PR operation.
WRN will file open records requests if necessary.
“We appreciate that UW-Eau Claire has taken swift action, and we will be working with them to conduct the investigation,” Mark Pitsch, director of Media Relations for Universities of Wisconsin, said.
Despite the tweet, Bobrowicz said the suspect did not reference any candidates or his political beliefs but “had a transgender pin on him.”
She said she tried to explain to him that Wrasse had told the club where to place the table to not run afoul of polling place rules. She says Wrasse later confirmed through video that they were legally placed.
But that’s when the suspect “flipped the entire table over,” she said. “All our stuff went flying.”
“I know who he is; the university has confirmed it is the chair” of a major department, she said.
“Right after the guy left, I called the police. They came down and I filed a report and everything. After that, we worked with Jake. I went right to his office and talked to him about the incident,” she said.
“He said he would update with anything he knew. Shortly after, he confirmed it with us that it was the chair of the department.”
“I feel a lot. I’m enraged. I’m scared for any students who have him as a professor. I am just heartbroken that we’ve come to this point in our society that people think it’s okay to flip an entire table and attack us like that,” she said. “These students, a lot of them are freshmen and young.”
She said the club continued to run the table, which has stickers and literature for Schimel and Kinser, candy and doughnuts.
She said police told her they were looking for the suspect to speak with him.
At the very least, she wants to sit down with the dean and Wrasse and thinks a suspension or resignation may be warranted. “I don’t have a definitive that this is what I want, but I want to be involved in it.”
“This is a great example for why I support Brad Schimel. I support justice and I support law and order. Brad Schimel has a history of that being backed 75% of sheriffs.”
She said she likes Kinser’s support of “school choice” as Bobrowicz herself is someone who has gone to public and private schools and also who has been home-schooled.
“My biggest issue – it’s (allegedly) the chair of the department. He sets an example for all these students and professors. He’s essentially saying this is okay behavior,” she added.
