An outspoken University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor was placed on administrative leave following reports of concern about his alleged advocacy for politically motivated violence.
UNC Media Relations confirmed that the university placed Dwayne Dixon on administrative leave effective on Monday.
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Dixon is a professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. The university said his leave will allow the school to investigate these allegations.
The university's student paper, The Daily Tar Heel, reported that Dixon's alleged affiliation is with an organization called "Redneck Revolt," which describes itself as a "pro-worker, anti-racist organization that focuses on working class liberation from the oppressive systems which dominate our lives."
Founded in 2016, the organization claims to be a national network of community defense projects from a broad spread of political, religious and cultural backgrounds. In states where it is legal to practice armed community defense, some branches choose to become "John Brown Gun Clubs," which train their members in defense and mutual aid.
The university said that depending on the nature of Dixon's alleged activity and involvement, his conduct could be grounds for disciplinary action, including potential termination of employment, according to standards set by the Trustee Policies and Regulations Governing Academic Tenure.
The university stated the length of Dixon's leave has not been determined, as it will depend on the time needed to assess the allegations and investigate, if needed.
"The University continues to reaffirm its commitment to rigorous debate, respectful engagement and open dialogue in support of free speech," UNC Media Relations stated in an email to WRAL. "There is no place for or tolerance of inciting or extending sympathy toward violence of any kind within the UNC community."
In response to his administrative leave, UNC students and community members plan to rally in support of Dixon at the South Building, which houses top administrative faculty such as the Office of the Chancellor, at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Triangle Radical Events, the group organizing the rally, said Dixon was put on leave because pressure from from far-right Christian nationalist group Turning Point USA, which was founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Last week on the social media platform X, Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet called for Dixon's firing.
"I posted this flyer our team spotted at Georgetown, and now we find out professors at 'elite' schools are members of this group and its offshoots," Kolvet wrote in the post. "This professor must be immediately fired and the group/network investigated."
"We say this will not happen here," Triangle Radical Events stated. "We rally to show the world that we’re in this fight, backing Professor Dixon and everyone else targeted by fascism. We keep us safe. All anti-racists (UNC-affiliated folks, alumni, community members) are welcome. If not now, when?"
On Tuesday, after the university confirmed his leave and after the rally was scheduled, Dixon released a statement:
The administration's decision to suspend me has implications for everyone on campus. This is not about a single person; it is an issue that affects all of us. This rally is powerful community demonstration of our shared desire for a better world. In solidarity and love, we struggle together to preserve our liberties. Dwayne Dixon
Several websites have tied Dixon to an alt-left group that promotes "militant resistance."
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to "investigate, disrupt and dismantle" any illegal operations linked to Antifa.
The incident is not the first time Dixon has made headlines or had a run-in with the law for his alleged political advocacy.
In August 2017, he was arrested at an anti-KKK rally in downtown Durham and charged with two misdemeanor counts of having a weapon at a public rally and going armed to the terror of people. While there were rumors of a white supremacist demonstration that day, it never materialized. Durham County sheriffs amped their units up when the rumors surfaced, but no known KKK members or white supremacy demonstrators actually arrived.
Deputies at the time said Dixon was carrying a semi-automatic rifle during the demonstration. The charges were dismissed.
In September 2018, he faced an assault charge in connection with the melee that occurred when the controversial Silent Sam statue was toppled on the school's campus.
Before entering the courtroom, Dixon said those charges were "patently false."
"They have been put on me by a fascist who has targeted me specifically because they think that somehow by undermining me they can undermine a movement. But it’s not about me. It’s about all of us," he said at the time. "The people who put charges on me today are part of a larger coterie of individuals who have conspired to continually try to distort the actual facts of our shared lives."
Two months later, a judge dismissed that charge after citing a flaw in the charging document.