Earlier this week, allegations of online misconduct against Dr. Logan Smith resurfaced on the Peay Mobile app after they were initially posted by the Sunlight Anti-Facist Action group on X, April 3, 2023. The allegations, contained in a now-updated blog post, feature affiliation with hate groups, sharing bigoted content and attendance of the Unite the Right rally in August 2017.
The blog post alleges Smith ran multiple variations of the “/pol/ News Network” (PNN) account under the pseudonym Levi Smith from 2016 until 2023. PNN’s main profile was hosted on Gab, an alt-tech social media platform. The account primarily shared alt-right extremist views through memes and reposted content featuring Holocaust denial, anti-trans rhetoric and racist jokes over the years of post history.
The post from Sunlight alleged that one of PNN’s followers was antisemitic terrorist Robert Bowers. In 2018, Bowers attacked the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, committing what is considered to be the deadliest attack perpetrated against Jewish people in the United States. A 4chan post from PNN, describing how Levi wanted to “gradually lead people to think like many on this board do,” brings particular concern to PNN’s influence on people like Bowers.
Smith was hired by APSU as an assistant professor just this year after completing his Ph.D at Oklahoma State University. He teaches in the Department of Psychological Science and Counseling, working primarily with the graduate program: PsyD.
Criticism has also come from the PNN account’s association with the Unite the Right rally held in Charlottesville, VA, in August 2017. The rally was organized by white supremacist groups with attendees including Ku Klux Klan members, neo-Nazi organizations and various hate groups. Levi Smith posted about his attendance on the PNN account and can be seen in multiple photographs from the rally. One photo features Levi with alt-right conspiracist Richard Spencer, another with former Grand Wizard of the KKK, David Duke.
Photos of Levi’s face from this rally along with a subsequent video interview done with conservative author and influencer Brittany Sellner (then Brittany Pettibone) were used with other pieces of evidence to support the allegation because the man’s appearance and voice are similar to Smith’s. However, these claims have yet to be officially confirmed.
On Tuesday morning, President Licari issued a school-wide email addressing the situation and has not commented since. In the email, Professor Logan Smith is not named, nor are the specific concerns held with his alleged behavior. Licari emphasized juggling the right to free speech with creating a safe and inclusive environment on campus and assured APSU community members that an update to hiring practices would be taking place.
For many, this was not enough. Students took to the Peay Mobile app to share their thoughts and get updates on the situation. Posts began circulating detailing the alleged behavior and sharing screenshots of PNN posts.
One of these students is Gracie Foutch, a junior animation major at APSU. Having seen a post on Peay Mobile just a few days before Licari’s email, she took up the task of educating other students through online activism. To Foutch, the internet has acted as an effective medium for sharing valuable information.
“I felt it was important to spread awareness because seeing how many people were completely in the dark about this after the email went out was concerning. He’d been walking around campus and interacting with people that had no idea what his true nature was,” said Foutch.
This concern has been elevated by Smith’s role as a counseling psychologist and assistant professor. With regular interactions with vulnerable populations, particularly populations he allegedly posted bigotry against, students and faculty have come forward with their fears.
“I’m genuinely scared to go to school. I don’t know who is there anymore, if I can be myself, what I should say aloud in case someone bad is watching,” read one post.
People like Foutch recognize these fears. She argues Smith, if confirmed to be the owner of the PNN accounts, could mean he has malicious intent being a clinical psychologist.
“His position at APSU gives him access to vulnerable groups that could become targets, so he presents an active threat to the marginalized people on campus, as well as the student body as a whole,” said Foutch.
Indeed, Smith is described in the PsyD’s program documents to be active in studying suicide prevention.
“His research interests largely focus on suicide prevalence, prediction, and prevention, especially for high-risk populations or groups that are underrepresented in research; typically, he has studied military populations, firefighters, and firearm owners,” reads the website.
A number of community members are now calling for Smith’s removal, including Foutch.
“I think the absolute bare minimum action would be to fire him. The evidence against him is solid, and the faculty and student body have clearly expressed that his presence makes them feel unsafe.”
Overall, Foutch, like many others, believes the school mishandled the situation. “I don’t believe they hired him while knowing of his extremism, but it was still extremely disappointing to see such passive language used in their response, especially the language regarding free speech.”
Sophomore and psychology major Millie Boyd is another student who has been posting about the issue on Peay Mobile.
“When I had first learned about the allegations, I felt ‘dirty’ if that make sense,” said Boyd. Over the last week, they have been advocating online and on the ground for Smith’s removal.
Online activism would turn into multiple protests across campus on Sept. 19-20.
“I chose to protest not only online due to needing this to not be ‘covered up’ as most situations in the past have been,” said Boyd. They have since shared information for and attended multiple protests, including a roadside protest Sept. 19 they were instrumental in organizing.
Friday, Sept. 20 featured multiple protests across campus. Initially, students organized outside of the APSU Board of Trustees meeting at 10 a.m. on 416 College St. The protest was then shifted to the Morgan University Center Plaza where community members continued gathering peacefully into the afternoon. Friday’s event was organized by the Freedom Allies, a new organization formed by the doctoral students of the Department of Psychology.
Peay Mobile’s student feed has been flooded with discussions about the protests and the future of APSU. Passerbys have taken the time to congratulate protestors and thank them for their efforts.
“I personally have immense respect for the people who are fighting for a more fair and equal college environment despite the heat today,” reads one post. “To the protesters, commendable work! It’s great to see people building community for justice!” said another.
At this point, the allegations have not been officially confirmed. Those with further questions have been directed back to Licari’s Tuesday email.
