A video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) is sparking outrage after a man, alleged to be a teacher’s assistant at Illinois State University, was caught on camera flipping over a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) Students table during what appeared to be a peaceful campus event. The clip, originally shared by the account @Bubblebathgirl, shows the unidentified man in a red plaid shirt speaking briefly with two students manning the TPUSA booth before abruptly flipping their table. “Well, you know Jesus did it, so you know I gotta do it right?” the man says moments before pulling the table over and knocking everything, flyers, buttons, and materials, to the ground. After the act, he casually adds, “Thanks guys, have a great day,” before walking away.
The brief but shocking video quickly went viral, amassing thousands of views and sparking backlash online. Many users claimed the TPUSA students were acting peacefully and not engaging in any aggressive or confrontational behavior prior to the incident. “Is a violent man like this TA who you’d want teaching your child?” one viewer wrote. Another added, “Find him. He needs to be arrested and charged.”
Internet Sleuths Claim To Have Identified The Illinois Teacher’s Assistant
It didn’t take long for the internet to start connecting the dots. Within hours of the footage going viral, users on X (formerly Twitter) began sharing screenshots of an Instagram account belonging to a man named Derek S. Lopez, who allegedly claimed to be the individual seen in the video.
Social media users quickly dug deeper, resurfacing other posts allegedly tied to the same account, including one graphic reading, “I stand with punching ICE in the face.” That post, along with the caption “come and tread on me,” has drawn further scrutiny, with many calling it an incitement of violence.
X users amplified the posts, claiming Lopez’s online behavior should “be investigated by authorities,” while another user shared a screenshot of the Illinois Educator Code of Ethics, arguing that if he is in fact a teaching assistant, his actions violate university standards. As of now, Illinois State University has not confirmed whether Lopez is affiliated with the school or issued any public comment on the alleged identification.
