Campus Controversies: Virginia Military Institute Reviewed, Chicago Teachers Clash Over ICE, VCU Nurse Fired After Viral Videos

This week’s Campus Radicals report highlights three separate campus controversies: a Virginia House Democratic proposal to review funding for the Virginia Military Institute (VMI); protests and community backlash in the Chicago area involving teachers and union members over immigration enforcement; and the dismissal of a nurse at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health after a series of viral social media videos.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continue to conduct immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2026.

Virginia Military Institute Under Review

Democrats in the Virginia House of Delegates introduced a resolution to create a task force to investigate the Virginia Military Institute and assess whether the historic college should continue to receive state funding. The effort comes as Virginia Democrats seek to restore or reinvigorate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies after many measures were rolled back following President Donald Trump’s 2024 election.

A teacher takes part in the Chicago Teachers' Union strike rally in downtown Chicago, the United States, on Oct. 17, 2019. Thousands of teachers and supporters rally on Thursday after Chicago Teachers' Union failed to make a deal with the municipal government on raising the teachers' salaries. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/ via Getty Images)

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) criticized the proposal, saying it undermines VMI's mission. "This takes away from VMI, takes away from its mission," Wittman told Fox News Digital. "I think that it's harmful to the Commonwealth of Virginia, harmful to VMI as an institution, harmful to all the incredible military leaders and community leaders that have come out of VMI."

A Virginia Commonwealth University nurse's TikTok video from January 14, 2025, has gone viral after it was posted by LibsOfTikTok on X.

Cadets Michael Ferrara, regimental S3 captain, and Devin Auzenne, regimental commander, spoke with Fox News Digital to defend the school's values and record. Ferrara said some cadets were confused by the inquiry and emphasized VMI's contributions: roughly 300 generals and flag officers, seven Medal of Honor recipients, 11 Rhodes Scholars and one Nobel Prize winner. Ferrara is set to graduate this spring and will be commissioned in the U.S. Air Force.

People raise placards reading "This is our Turning Point" during a memorial service for slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona, U.S., September 21, 2025.

Chicago Teachers, Community Backlash Over ICE

In West Chicago, a teacher at Gary Elementary School was placed on administrative leave after a Facebook post that read "GO ICE" circulated through the predominantly Hispanic community. Activists and community members quickly called for action; Fox News Digital is withholding the teacher’s name for safety reasons. Social media responses ranged from sharp criticism to profanity directed at the educator.

Federal agents deal with agitators outside of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 14, 2026.

Separately, members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) filmed themselves protesting federal immigration enforcement and what they described as rollback of DEI commitments at a local Target store. Union members entered the store carrying anti-ICE signs and questioned whether Target would take steps to protect employees from immigration enforcement. The CTU framed the action as demanding protections and accountability from a private employer.

VCU Health Nurse Fired After Viral Videos Suggesting Harm

Virginia Commonwealth University Health confirmed that a nurse who posted a series of viral videos suggesting tactics to deter or "sabotage" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents is no longer employed by the system. VCU said it investigated the posts in coordination with VCU Police and completed required state reporting.

In one clip labeled with the tags "#ice #resistance #sabotage," the nurse suggested medical providers take syringes filled with saline or succinylcholine as a "scare" or "sabotage" tactic. Succinylcholine is a paralytic agent that causes rapid, short-acting muscle paralysis lasting several minutes.

VCU called the content "highly inappropriate" and said it did not reflect the health system’s values. Kristina Rasmussen, executive director of the advocacy group Do No Harm, criticized VCU for what she described as a culture of identity politics in medical education and called the firing a minimal response unless broader changes follow.

Other Campus Developments

St. John's University’s student government in Queens, New York, denied recognition last November to a proposed Turning Point USA chapter, saying Student Government, Inc. (SGI) is responsible for approving new student organizations. The university encouraged interested students to reapply or seek department-sponsored alternatives.

At the University of Minnesota, student groups including the Black Student Union promoted a "National Shutdown" to protest federal immigration enforcement. The action called on participants to refrain from work, classes and shopping for a day, and invited endorsements via a national web page. Endorsers listed included the Black Student Union, the Somali Student Association, the Ethiopian Student Association, the Liberian Student Association, and the Graduate Labor Union.

Context and Implications

These incidents reflect wider national debates over DEI policies, campus free speech, and immigration enforcement that continue to provoke strong reactions across communities and institutions. Each episode prompted administrative or public responses: a proposed legislative review in Virginia, administrative leave and union activism in Chicago, and an employment termination and investigation at VCU Health.