NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — An Illinois State University teaching assistant was arrested for allegedly “disrupting two informational tabling events,” campus officials said.
Derek Lopez, 27 of El Paso, Ill., was arrested by the Illinois State University Police on charges of disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property, a post on the campus police’s Facebook page said.
Lopez was arrested on Oct. 17 after a campus police investigation where they said he allegedly “disrupted two informational tabling events being hosted by a registered student organization,” the post said.
University Police Chief Aaron Woodruff said his office is committed to First Amendment rights.
“We are committed to protecting the First Amendment rights as well as safety of everyone in our campus community. We encourage all members of our community to learn more about free speech rights and responsibilities at Illinois State University, including constructive ways to respond when encountering speech they may disagree with,” he said in the post.
Lopez is a graduate student and teaching assistant at the university.
The post said the case is still pending and “may be grounds for additional charges and university disciplinary action.”
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