It's no secret that conservatives are persona non grata on college campuses. Those supposed bastions of tolerance and learning are anything but; many are little more than Leftist indoctrination centers (and some of them take lots of money from Qatar to push anti-American, pro-terror propaganda).
One Wisconsin professor, Trevor Tomesh, is speaking out about the hostility conservatives face on college campuses and warning that the political climate needs to change lest it spark a civil war.
CAMPUS CLIMATE: University of Wisconsin–River Falls professor Trevor Tomesh said conservative faculty often feel isolated in higher education, calling it a “hostile environment” for dissenting views. Following Charlie Kirk’s assassination, he warned that intolerance for opposing… pic.twitter.com/gpjn4vPXdF
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 29, 2025
A professor in Wisconsin who recently went viral for a Facebook post in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination described an "isolating environment" for those on campus who harbor conservative views.
Trevor Tomesh is an assistant professor of computer, information and data science at the University of Wisconsin –River Falls. While he stressed that on his campus, he feels like there is room for dialogue among faculty members who might disagree politically, he recognizes that isn't the case at every institute of higher learning in the United States.
"I do know, though, that even at somewhere like the University of Wisconsin—River Falls, a lot of professors are not very happy to speak up about their views if their views are contrary to the narrative, essentially," Tomesh told Fox News Digital, stressing that his views do not represent those of the university where he teaches or the University of Wisconsin system.
In that Facebook post, Tomesh pointed out FIRE's recent campus survey, writing, "The 2026 FIRE Report shows that over one-third of students believe violence is at least sometimes justified as a response to speech they dislike. Similarly, the 2025 William F. Buckley Jr. Program National Undergraduate Student Survey found that liberal students are almost twice as likely as conservative students to agree that 'physical violence can be justified to prevent a person from using hate speech or making racially charged comments.'”
After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Tomesh said conservative students at UW-River Falls erected a memorial that was "defaced within hours."
"When the College Republicans at my university held a memorial chalking for Charlie Kirk, their display was defaced within hours with vile slogans about fascists and Nazis, including messages scrawled on one of the bullet casings that killed Kirk," Tomesh wrote. He noted that several students have come to him to complain about "openly hostile classmates and professors."
Unlike Leftists, Tomesh is reasonable and welcomes open debate. When a Christian student said a professor told him "the Bible is wrong," Tomesh defended that professor's right to academic freedom. "I explained that academic freedom allows professors to present material in the way they deem appropriate," Tomesh wrote. "Yes, it stings when someone casually derides your worldview—but that’s part of the freedom of expression that protects all of us. It’s also, frankly, why I still have a job."
Tomesh then added, "I reminded them that this freedom cuts both ways: students have every right to stand up for their beliefs as well. I told them to endure the class, hold their head high, and wear the experience as a badge of honor."
For years, conservatives have fought for equal ideological footing on college campuses. We need more professors like Trevor Tomesh to lead that charge.