RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State University said its investigation into an employee accused of being a member of the Proud Boys and publishing personal information about left-wing activists “did not substantiate any significant allegations.”
University spokesperson Mick Kulikowski said in a Monday statement that school officials acknowledge the findings into Chadwick Jason Seagraves’ activities “will not satisfy everyone” but stressed the school “stands in strong opposition to intolerance and hate, and remains dedicated to doing all we can to advance the university’s core values of diversity, inclusion and equity for all.”
“We understand that the accusations and related discussion have caused hurt and evoked a variety of emotions on and off campus,” Kulikowski said.
More than 2,000 people had signed a petition calling on the university to fire Seagraves, who is a desktop support team manager at the school. The probe was launched in November after the allegations were posted on Twitter and reported by Raw Story. He told The News & Observer of Raleigh at the time that he was not a member of the Proud Boys and to paint him “as a racist and fascist is heinous slander.”
Raw Story had reported that Seagraves spoke at a 2017 rally and introduced Augustus Sol Invictus, a far-right activist. The publication said the event was “billed as a free speech rally” but “was in reality a recruitment event for the Proud Boys,” which Seagraves denies. The Proud Boys are a far-right extremist group known for engaging in violent clashes at political rallies.
Seagraves told The News & Observer it was a MAGA Free Speech rally to celebrate Flag Day. “Make America Great Again,” or “MAGA,” is a campaign slogan by President Donald Trump.
Seagraves, who was also accused of harassing a student online, did not acknowledge posting personal information about left-wing activists in Portland, Oregon, or Asheville, North Carolina, The News & Observer reported.
The university said they worked with external investigators and looked into Seagraves’ work computers to determine if the allegations were valid. Faculty and activist groups had also expressed concerns about whether he had access to information about students and staff.
Kulikowski said Seagraves “did not have access to the protected personal information of any NC State student or any staff members other than those supervised by the employee.”
The university said law enforcement have confirmed to the school that Seagraves was not part of the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol last week.