UWEC professor fined for election day incident
EAU CLAIRE — The UW-Eau Claire professor who confronted college Republicans and flipped over a table set up to support a Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate settled a disorderly conduct charge with a $295 fine, court records show.
Jose Alvergue, 45, Eau Claire, paid the fine Wednesday, the same day as it was issued.
The incident took place on election day in April, amid a tense race for the state supreme court. While technically nonpartisan, the candidates clearly lined up with political parties in their bids for the open seat.
Brad Schimel, a former state attorney general, was the Republican-backed candidate. He lost to Susan Crawford, who had the backing of the state's Democrats. The college Republicans had set their table up to support Schimel's candidacy.
Alvergue initiated the confrontation, approaching and asking why the table was close to a polling place. Like most states, Wisconsin bans campaigning near polling locations. The buffer area in Wisconsin is 100 feet, and the table was apparently in compliance with that requirement.
After speaking with the students Alvergue flipped over the table and walked off. He was identified after the students posted video showing him walking across the campus quad and the ground around their table littered with campaign items.
UWEC confirmed placing Alvergue on administrative leave after the incident drew attention, though it did not mention him. He was stripped of his position as chair of the university's English department.
Alvergue remains listed as a faculty member on the UWEC website as an associate professor.
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