Furman professor says he exercised free speech at 'Unite the Right' rally in 2017

A computer science professor at Furman University confirmed Thursday that he attended the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, and said he was exercising his right to freedom of speech by doing so.

The rally drew hundreds of white supremacists to Charlottesville, where they marched with lit tiki torches and chanted, "Jews will not replace us." Fights broke out between the demonstrators and counter-protesters, injuring 35 people. The rally ended when neo-Nazi James Fields drove his car into a crowd, killing Heather Heyer.

Furman University President Elizabeth Davis announced Sept. 30 that the university was investigating the situation and that the professor would not teach or be on campus as the university "determines next steps."

INVESTIGATION:Furman University professor under investigation for 'Unite the Right' rally participation

The professor, Christopher Healy, said the situation is a free-speech issue.

"I am an American citizen, and I am being punished because I exercised my rights as a U.S. citizen. Basically, that's all this is about," he told The Greenville News.

Photos, video show Furman professor Christopher Healy at infamous 2017 Charlottesville rally

A Twitter thread posted Sept. 30 by Sunlight Anti-Fascist Action — a social media account "dedicated to exposing Nazis, racists and fascists wherever they hide" — identified Healy at the rally based on an anonymous tip.

"The views of the organizers of the 'Unite the Right' rally do not reflect the values that I hold, and they are not the values that we have committed to in our vision, mission and values statements," Davis said in the written statement emailed to members of the campus. "They are harmful to members of our community, diminish a sense of belonging, and inhibit each individual’s opportunity to thrive. It is our responsibility when matters like these come to light to engage in robust dialogue about what belonging and thriving mean on our campus and beyond."

Healy joined the computer science department at Furman in 1999, according to the university's website. He has taught about 70 classes and supervised about 25 student research projects, and he was the chapter advisor of the honor society in computer science, Upsilon Pi Epsilon, for 10 years.

Healy was also Furman's chapter president of Phi Beta Kappa, an academic honor society, from 2009 to 2012, according to his biography online.

But questions remain about Healy's activities outside the classroom.

Photos and video posted to the Sunlight Anti-Fascist Action account show Healy in the "Unite the Right" crowd in 2017, wearing a green ballcap pulled low over his face. He's seen standing next to people holding flags with swastikas and people holding shields marked with NSM for the National Socialist Movement, considered a modern version of the American Nazi party.

Healy is also seen standing next to someone wearing a shirt with a logo of League of the South. Founded by Southern university professors, League of the South is a racist and anti-Semitic group that believes the South should secede and be ruled by white men, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit organization that specializes in matters of civil rights.

"It just so happens I was standing next to people who belong to organizations that I've never heard of, or disavow," Healy said. "I don't know what they were, but I didn't recognize them. Or if I did recognize them, I was disgusted by them."

Furman professor defends Unite the Right rally attendance

In 2021, a Virginia jury ruled multiple white-supremacist leaders and hate groups should pay more than $25 million in damages to plaintiffs who said they suffered physical or emotional injuries from the rally.

Healy said that, while he attended the rally, he "basically did nothing."

"I did nothing other than attend a peaceful public meeting," Healy said. "I was waiting for guest speakers to speak, and the event was canceled. So I left."

The Sunlight Anti-Fascist Action account also posted screenshots of Healy's address and "secret email" on a 2008 British National Party members list published by Wikileaks. The British National Party is a far-right fascist political party in the United Kingdom.

Healy's information was still on Wikileaks' published list Oct. 6.

Healy declined to say if he identified as a member of any groups or organizations.

"That's irrelevant," he said.

Furman investigates professor's alleged far-right activities, beliefs

Furman University has said its investigation into Healy's activities is ongoing.

Furman campus leaders and community members will offer opportunities to process the incident in the coming weeks, according to Davis' statement.

"Furman University is stronger when we embrace and celebrate diversity and when we denounce racism, exclusion and hatred," Davis said.

Gail Wilson Awan, president and CEO of the Urban League of the Upstate, released a statement on social media Sunday in support of Furman's response.

"They say that true leadership is being there when it counts most. Instead of looking the other way, or even worse, justifying doing nothing, Elizabeth Davis, the 12th president of Furman University, continues to take such action," Awan said. "The ULUS supports the leadership of president Davis and stands with her and those who unequivocally condemn acts of hate."

Meanwhile, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech nonprofit organization, wrote a letter to the university detailing its concerns and posted analysis of the situation.

"While some may be deeply offended by Healy’s attendance at that protest, Furman promises its community freedom of expression and cannot backtrack based on the exercise of that freedom," FIRE writes. "As explained below, because there is no legitimate basis on which Furman may sanction Healy, it must immediately end its investigation and reinstate him to his teaching duties."

Healy said he will have more to say as the university completes its investigation. The investigation and his ban from campus has not only affected him but also his department and students, who are now without a professor and a colleague, he said.

"I feel like my employer is blaming me for this. I think people are assuming the worst," Healy said. "I am being found guilty by association."

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Furman professor says he exercised free speech at infamous rally