Days after his name was tied to white-supremacist propaganda accounts, Logan Smith has left Austin Peay State University. The exit comes after protests by students and community members in Clarksville. Smith joined APSU’s Department of Psychological Science and Counseling as an assistant professor in August.
Michael Licari, APSU's president, announced the decision in a letter on Monday.Â
“I am writing to inform you that on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, Austin Peay State University and Dr. Logan Smith mutually agreed to end employment, effective immediately,” writes Licari.
Smith was identified in April 2023 as the person behind multiple propaganda accounts publishing a broad range of hate speech, including praise for Adolf Hitler, attacks on minorities and support for the nuclear extermination of humanity. Sunlight Anti-Fascist Action, a self-identified “collective of anti fascist researchers,” posted extensive documentation tying Smith to these accounts, which operated under the pseudonym “Levi” Smith.
University investigating after photos and videos identify Austin Peay assistant professor as far-right propagandist
On Sept. 10, the group updated Smith’s information page to include his recent employment at APSU, setting off public reaction by students and community members. Smith initially denied the connection to his graduate students before conceding that he had been involved in internet chat groups that got “out of hand” several years prior, according to a former student.
Jordana McLaughlin confirms to the Scene that her professor, Logan Smith, was the same “Levi Smith” who gave an interview promoting his involvement in organized white supremacist groups.Â
“This was brought to my attention on Sept. 10, when he shared that someone had called him a neo-Nazi,” says McLaughlin, recalling a meeting between Smith, herself and other graduate students. “The first thing I did when I got home was look up these allegations. Having spent, on average, six or seven hours a week with him, you get to know somebody's voice and likeness in front of you. I had no doubt it was him. I started reaching out to other students and faculty to express my concerns.”Â
Within days, several students — including McLaughlin — began severing professional ties with Smith. Students circulated information about Smith, including posts he authored via hate speech accounts, some of which boasted more than 90,000 followers. A letter-writing campaign to administrators and student protests at APSU drew attention to Smith’s views over the past week.
In an initial letter to APSU students and faculty, Licari characterized Smith’s behavior as protected First Amendment speech. Students say that his expressed worldview — rooted in the dominance and superiority of heterosexual, Christian white men — discredits him as an educator and psychologist.
“We don't have a direct ethical guideline that says, 'Don't be a neo-Nazi,'” says Derrick Tims, another psychology graduate student at Austin Peay. “But we do practice in a field that emphasizes multiculturalism, inclusivity and an understanding of client identities and how those identities can impact their experience in the world. For an individual who has expressed such strong negative opinions of individuals with marginalized identities, I believe it would be extremely difficult for that person to completely put those biases aside.”
As of Monday, Smith is no longer listed among APSU Psychological Science and Counseling faculty and could not be reached for comment. The university did not immediately return the Scene’s request for comment.
