UNC Chapel Hill professor Dwayne Dixon, a self-identified member of the far-left Redneck Revolt gun club, has been placed on administrative leave after mounting scrutiny over his advocacy and involvement in politically motivated, armed left-wing protests.
The university has confirmed suspending a professor to conduct a thorough investigation into certain allegations that may lead to disciplinary actions, including the potential for termination.
“Dr. Dwayne Dixon, who teaches Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of North Carolina, has been put on administrative leave immediately due to recent concerns and reports regarding alleged support for politically motivated violence,” explained Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications, Dean Stoyer, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Redneck Revolt and Radical Activism
Dr. Dixon is a faculty member at UNC in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. He is openly affiliated with the Silver Valley chapter of Redneck Revolt, a group described as “far-left,” opposing capitalism and nation-states, as well as opposing police, prisons, and courts, according to the Counter Extremism Project.
Back in 2017, Dixon participated with armed counter-protesters at a Durham, North Carolina, event meant to counteract a supposed KKK gathering, which did not occur. He was armed with a semi-automatic rifle and blocked roads, leading to public concern and charges for carrying a weapon in public assemblies, all of which were later dismissed.
He also attended the well-known Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, at which an individual named James Fields Jr. deliberately drove a car into a crowd, resulting in the death of Heather Heyer. Dixon later acknowledged, during a panel at Harvard and in a Facebook post dated January 7, 2018, that he had confronted Fields with his rifle shortly before this tragic incident.
At the Harvard panel, Dixon recounted how James Fields “slowly drove” past him on multiple occasions, saying, “On one occasion, he stopped directly in front of me, and I signaled him away with my rifle. On his final pass, he sped up, and a block away, Heather was killed.”
At a Harvard panel, UNC professor Dwayne Dixon admitted to chasing James Fields with his rifle multiple times before Fields accelerated and killed Heather Heyer at Charlottesville.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Dixon wrote, “I used this rifle to chase off James Fields from our block of 4th St before he attacked the marchers to the south.”
UNC professor Dwayne Dixon admits on Facebook to confronting James Fields with a rifle before the Charlottesville attack.
Further Controversy & Legal Trouble
Redneck Revolt, along with right-wing groups, was sued under anti-paramilitary laws after Charlottesville, later entering a consent decree to avoid trial, calling the suit “harassment” and “state repression of anti-racist activists.”
Dixon faced a separate assault charge in 2018 stemming from left-wing riots that toppled UNC’s Silent Sam monument; that case was also dismissed.
Redneck Revolt is an offshoot of the John Brown Gun Club, which recently made headlines for posting flyers at Georgetown University celebrating the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. The flyer read: “Hey fascist! Catch this!”.
The John Brown Gun Club has a history of violence:
“Hey fascist! Catch!” flyers were spotted on Georgetown University’s campus on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, after a viral incident the day before. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
While UNC officially reaffirms its commitment to free speech and open dialogue, its tolerance historically appears to have leaned toward excusing or ignoring left-wing violence—violence openly exhibited by Dixon and his Redneck Revolt associates.
Only now, under the current administration’s heightened scrutiny and crackdown on politically motivated violence, has this permissiveness become politically unpopular and subject to discipline.
Dixon’s long history of violent rhetoric and actions, widely documented and circulated on social media, has finally forced the university to act. His indefinite administrative leave signals a shift away from years of implicit acceptance toward a more rigorous enforcement of campus safety and conduct policies.