NCSU investigating employee accused of Proud Boys membership. He calls it ‘slander.’
N.C. State University is investigating the online behavior of an employee who is alleged to be a member of the Proud Boys, a right-wing group that has been associated with protests organized by white supremacists and designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The employee, Chadwick Jason Seagraves, told the News & Observer in a statement Wednesday that he is not a member of the Proud Boys and “to paint me as a racist and fascist is heinous slander.”
On Twitter this week, N.C. State responded to other accounts that shared allegations of online harassment against Seagraves, saying the university is looking into the situation. Local anti-racism organization Move Silent Sam has called for Seagraves to be fired and said “people feel unsafe” because of his access to student information.
Seagraves is a Desktop Support Team Manager in Technology Support Services at N.C. State.
“It is important to note that, contrary to Internet rumors, in their position the employee has not and does not have access to the protected personal information of any NC State student, or any employees they do not supervise,” NC State spokesperson Brad Bohlander said in a statement Thursday. “During the review the university has further restricted the employee’s access.”
Bohlander said NC State is conducting a thorough review of the allegations of employee misconduct. However, the university is limited in the information it can share regarding actions taken with regard to its employees, and cannot provide specifics about a misconduct review or its outcome due to state personnel law, he said.
In his emailed statement, Seagraves said, “I have been subjected to an organized campaign of slander composed of outright lies, half truths, and out of context claims initiated by anonymous anarchists and ‘antifascists’ that is designed to punish me and suppress my right to political expression using intimidation ... with the intent to destroy my career and reputation.
“I categorically denounce white supremacism and, as a Constitutionalist and Free Speech Absolutist, I abhor the concept of fascism and authoritarianism of any sort,” Seagraves added.
Allegations of online harassment
Seagraves allegedly helped publish and distribute personal information of left-wing activists in Portland, Oregon, and Asheville, North Carolina, “in a way to incite emotional and physical harm,” according to Raw Story, a left-leaning national online publication. He is also accused of “digitally harassing at least one student activist” at N.C. State using his anonymous Twitter account, Raw Story reported.
The allegations spread on social media this week by left-wing anonymous Twitter accounts associated with the Anonymous Comrade Collective, which says it is “dedicated to exposing Nazis, racists and fascists.” The group also pointed out Seagraves’ alleged connections to the Proud Boys.
Seagraves spoke at a 2017 rally in Chapel Hill and introduced Augustus Sol Invictus, a far-right activist, Raw Story reported. The online publication said the gathering was “a recruitment event for the Proud Boys.” Proud Boys members have protested around UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus, particularly in support of the former Silent Sam Confederate monument.
Seagraves told The News & Observer the event was a MAGA Free Speech rally in celebration of Flag Day in 2017. He said it was unaffiliated with any group and had attendees of all political persuasions. Seagraves gave all the speaker introductions and they were from a “a wide range of minorities, religious backgrounds, and conservative political views,” he said.
Olivia Katbi Smith, co-chair of the Portland chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, filed a lawsuit against Seagraves in Oregon for invasion of privacy last week, the alternative weekly newspaper Willamette Week reported. She alleges that Seagraves shared the address of her and her family as part of a data dump of thousands of files with photos and activists’ personal information.
When asked, Seagraves did not acknowledged posting or sharing personal information online about activists and other individuals as the lawsuit in Oregon alleges.
Concern from faculty
Multiple N.C. State faculty members expressed concern about student and employee safety after seeing the news spread on Twitter. Some asked for a stronger response from the university.
“I’m really struggling to understand why @NCState is so unwilling to talk about the violent fascist concerns,” NCSU physics professor Daniel Dougherty wrote.
“Morning reminder that many of us are waiting to see if our institution can stand up to hate. Here’s hoping there is a good reason for @NCState to go silent,” he tweeted Wednesday.
Physics professor Karen Daniels also tweeted that the university needs to openly address the issue.
“Letting us know that he doesn’t currently have access to sensitive information about students/employees would be a solid start,” Daniels tweeted.
University spokesperson Mick Kulikowski said that the university received multiple reports and is now reviewing the online behavior of an employee. Kulikowski did not share any details about the nature of the complaints, how long the investigation might take or whether the university has rules for employees being in a group like the Proud Boys.
“Yikes. Assuming these allegations are true, having someone like that in IT, where they potentially have access to student and staff information, is deeply concerning,” Katie Mack, an assistant professor in the physics department, tweeted.
Seagraves said in his statement that he welcomes the review of his performance and record as an employee.
“I would ask the people who know me to judge me based on how I have treated them and who they know me to be, not on the spurious claims of anonymous activists,” Seagraves said.
Seagrave’s full statement to The News & Observer
I have been subjected to an organized campaign of slander composed of outright lies, half truths, and out of context claims initiated by anonymous anarchists and “antifascists” that is designed to punish me and suppress my right to political expression using intimidation and the Heckler’s veto with the intent to destroy my career and reputation.
I categorically denounce white supremacism and, as a Constitutionalist and Free Speech Absolutist, I abhor the concept of fascism and authoritarianism of any sort.
With regard to the university’s investigation, I welcome a review of my performance and record as an employee. I have served in my position with distinction and believe that my record of diversity as a hiring manager; the equality, kindness, and compassion with which I treat all of my colleagues; and my integrity and commitment to upholding the university’s values of diversity and equity will stand alone.
In 2017 I was still a registered Democrat and had been active in politics for the Democratic Party since 2001. In 2008 I worked at an inner city polling location in Indianapolis as a precinct “judge” and was part of the ground campaign for then candidate Obama. It was seeing exactly the sort of horrible attacks and suppression of free speech that I am going through right now that caused me to reassess my values and position. Our current state of politics is a clash of values. Each side seeing the same set of facts and coming to varying conclusions based on the hierarchy of values to which they subscribe. As a librarian, trained to provide authoritative sources, I have witnessed even those once trusted authorities sink into bias and partisanship. Epistemologically, we are at our lowest.
I am not a member of the Proud Boys.
To paint me as a racist and fascist is heinous slander. I will continue to stand up for the principles and values put in place by the Founding Fathers. If you follow the news at all you will see that conservatives and centrists alike are being denied their right to free speech through violence, deplatforming, and intimidation by violent people who weaponize the term “fascist” or “racist” to denigrate those whose views they oppose. Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying “Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom - and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech.” That liberty stands for everyone - regardless of race, creed, sex, or orientation.
I would ask the people who know me to judge me based on how I have treated them and who they know me to be, not on the spurious claims of anonymous activists.
Seagrave’s second statement to The News & Observer
After he was asked about his attendance at the 2017 rally:
That was a Free Speech rally in celebration of Flag day 2017 and unaffiliated with any group. It was advertised broadly and had attendees of all political persuasions. It was cool that a lot of folks just walking down the street stopped to talk and engage. The local Antifascists even came and set-up a table to hand-out literature.
What my accusers will not show or mention is that the event organizers had arranged a very eclectic list of speakers for that day. I gave all of them introductions. Surprisingly the only video that ever got published was the muckraking one regarding a person who called me the night before the rally and asked if they could join the roster. In fact, we released a statement of intent as a press release several days prior to the event to make clear our position. In picking speakers for this event we chose people from a wide range of minorities, religious backgrounds, and conservative political views [see attached] who included:
Sue Googe is a first generation Chinese immigrant, former candidate for Congress in NC, a successful female entrepreneur, and also a librarian. Her grandfather, and many other male members of her family, was murdered by the Communist regime before their property was confiscated.
Alex Smith is an ex-Muslim from the Middle East who faces the ramifications of speaking out against the fundamentalists of his former religion
Apostle DJ Wiggins is a conservative African American pastor from Garner who works with runaways and drug addicts.
There were 7 or more speakers that day. That day was my first time meeting any of them. One of them, I forget who, got caught in traffic and didn’t make it in time.
Read the rally statement. My message has always been consistent. I denounce white supremacy and those that advocate for it. As a librarian, I might loan or recommend books whose contents I completely disagree with that are part of a collection that includes books many people disagree with and want banned. Does that mean because I introduce the collection of those ideas to the public that I agree with, and am responsible for, all they include? Of course not! We have lost all sense of nuance and context with regard to matters of association.
This story was originally published November 25, 2020 at 6:12 PM with the headline "NCSU investigating employee accused of Proud Boys membership. He calls it ‘slander.’."
