Rutgers Senate defies Turning Point USA, backs professor targeted over Antifa book

✅ Rutgers Senate votes 110–4 to defend academic freedom amid national controversy

✅ Mark Bray faces online threats after Turning Point USA campaign targets him

✅ Hundreds of professors donate to support Bray as he relocates to Spain for safety

NEW BRUNSWICK — The Rutgers University Senate on Friday approved a resolution in support of Mark Bray, the professor targeted by Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA.

Bray, the author of a book called "Antifa: The Antifascist Handbook," received death threats after the history professor's personal information was posted online. He has since relocated with his wife to Spain.

“I do not have any affiliation with any antifa group and don’t plan to,” Bray, who wrote the book “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook,” which documents the philosophy and tactics of militant anti-fascist movements around the world, told the Associated Press. He has taught courses on anti-fascism and terrorism at the university since 2019.

During Friday's Rutgers University Senate meeting, members voted 110-4 in support of a resolution that "affirms its strong support for academic freedom and freedom of expression, in accordance with Rutgers policy and the principles of free inquiry that undergird the University’s mission."

Fox News reported that 15 people spoke in favor of the resolution before the vote.

According to the university website, the senate is made up of representatives of Rutgers faculty, students, staff, administrators, and alumni. It meets up to nine times a year to consider "matters of general university interest" and to make reccommendations to the administration.

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Turning Point chapter faces scrutiny amid compliance issues

The resolution called for Rutgers president William Tate to make clear that "disagreement with the political, scholarly, or personal viewpoints expressed by faculty, staff, or students – absent any violation of law or University policy – shall not constitute grounds for disciplinary action or institutional disavowal."

Fox News also reported that 518 professors from Rutgers and around the country have contributed to an online fundraiser on Freefunder to support Bray while he is in Spain.

Rutgers, meanwhile, said that two officers of Turning Point are ineligible to serve in those positions and did not properly register with the school.

"The university is reviewing this internally and working with the chapter to address the compliance matter and ensure the organization's continued operations on campus, consistent with our approach to all student organizations," Rutgers said in a statement.

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