An Assistant Professor of English and Cinema & Media Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and a self-described “socialist and ardent antifascist,” in November 2024, shortly after the apprehension of UPenn alum Luigi Mangione under accusations of murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in cold blood, Alekseyeva posted a TikTok video of her smiling while playing a Les Misérables tune with the caption “Have never been prouder to be a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.” A University of Pennsylvania spokesperson condemned Alekseyeva’s behavior, calling it “antithetical to the values of both the School of Arts and Sciences and the University of Pennsylvania.”