Protest at NC State calls for employee who was alleged to be Proud Boys member to resign
NC State student government leaders organized a protest on campus Tuesday calling for university employee Chadwick Jason Seagraves to resign immediately.
In November 2020, the university investigated Seagraves’ alleged connections to the Proud Boys, a white nationalist organization, and his “malicious online activities,” including allegations that he harassed a student and Black Lives Matter protesters. But no formal disciplinary action was taken against Seagraves, and he is still employed at NCSU.
NCSU Undergraduate Student Body President Melanie Flowers organized Tuesday’s “Freeze Out” protest on the first day of classes for the spring semester. In an executive order, Flowers said Seagraves’ actions and beliefs are “inexcusable and threaten the integrity of the NC State community.”
“As students, our voices cannot be wasted, silenced or controlled,” Flowers said at the protest. “As students, we must stand up for what we believe in. As students, we must act.”
Dozens of students came to the event and were invited to write letters to Seagraves to echo the call for a public apology and his resignation. Those letters will be collected and mailed to Seagraves one at a time.
A group of students then marched through campus and stopped at the free expression tunnel on campus, where students painted their hands and placed them on the wall.
Freshmen Natalie Garcia-Franquiz and Sebastian Rios wrote letters and said they came to the event because as students of color, they feel uncomfortable with Seagraves working on their campus.
“Our university is growing and changing, and I think that white supremacy and racism should be something that we leave in the past,” Rios said.
Allegations against Seagraves
Seagraves was reported to the university as an alleged member of the Proud Boys, a right-wing group that has been associated with violent protests organized by white supremacists. The Proud Boys are designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Seagraves was also accused of harassing an N.C. State student online and helping publish and distribute personal information of left-wing activists in Portland, Oregon, and in Asheville with malice, the News & Observer previously reported.
After these reports spread on social media last fall, Flowers said students were fearfu. For two months, they waited for the university to complete its investigation into Seagraves’ online behavior and alleged misconduct, she said.
“As a Black student on this campus, especially after the summer that we had, you never know who is going to come and incite violence in your community,” Flowers told the News & Observer.
On Jan. 11, the university announced its review “did not substantiate any significant allegations.”
NC State also looked into new allegations and social media posts about the violent mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 . The university said it worked with law enforcement to confirm that Seagraves was not in Washington, D.C. at the time and was not involved in the insurrection.
When the initial allegations spread on social media, Seagraves denied being part of the Proud Boys. He did not answer questions about posting activists’ personal information online, but told the News & Observer “to paint me as a racist and fascist is heinous slander.”
Students and faculty were particularly concerned with Seagraves position as a Desktop Support Team Manager in Technology Support Services at N.C. State. In its investigation, the university confirmed that Seagraves did not have access to the “protected personal information of any NC State student or any staff members,” except for those he supervised.
Protest and the university’s response
Since the university didn’t legally take any action against Seagraves, Flowers said student government stepped up to advocate for students and find another point to apply pressure.
The protest also had a virtual option for students to participate.
Student leaders called on Seagraves to directly address the NC State community to “denounce all forms of white supremacy and acknowledge the harm caused to students, specifically students of color and student activists, that can occur when supporting white supremacists.”
N.C. State Chancellor Randy Woodson sent a statement to the university community Tuesday in light of the demonstration. He said he knows the outcome of the investigation has been “disappointing and frustrating” and acknowledged the hurt this situation has caused.
“These are real emotions, and I am sensitive to them,” Woodson said. “These emotions have only been exacerbated by the recent riot in Washington, D.C., and threats of more violence in every state in the coming days.”
Woodson said the university was bound by the U.S. Constitution and state laws and policies in addressing the issue and noted employees First Amendment Rights.
”Even speech many of us consider hateful can be protected,” Woodson said. “We may not be able to discipline employees or students solely on the basis of their speech or expression, even when we find them in opposition to the university’s deeply held values.”
Woodson said the university will investigate any claims of discrimination, harassment and illegal or inappropriate actions by an employee or student and address them as best they can under the law.
“We must continue to stand together condemning hate and intolerance and making it clear these are not acceptable here,” Woodson said.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 2:34 PM with the headline "Protest at NC State calls for employee who was alleged to be Proud Boys member to resign."
