NC State’s Pride Center Assistant Director, Jae Edwards, lost his job due to an undercover video posted by Accuracy in Media, a non-profit anti-DEI organization whose mission is to “expose corruption and hold bad public policy actors accountable,” on Feb. 6, 2026.

In the video posted on Feb. 5, 2026, Edwards spoke about efforts to support LGBTQ+ students amid the repeal of DEI policies. “I think it’s so important, more than ever, to still uplift and celebrate our students,” said Edwards in the video.

Mick Kulikowski, director of strategic communications and media relations, provided a statement to The Nubian Message and to The News and Observer on Edwards’ removal. On March 3, Edwards spoke on the situation with The Nubian Message. Edwards said that the video was taken a year and a half ago, that the footage was spliced and edited heavily, and that he was not given the same reasoning  Kulikowski provided in his statement.

The posting of the video and Edwards’ swift separation from NC State sparked a myriad of reactions from not just NC State students, but the greater Triangle community. The GoFundMe fundraiser supporting Edwards after his sudden job loss has raised $12,761 as of March 10. The NC Branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and NC State’s Graduate Student Organizing Committee started petitions for Edwards’ reinstatement.

Julianna Simmons, an organizer with the PSL, said, “The motivations are really centered around the fact that we fight injustice that we see happening around us, and the injustices that we don’t see happening around us, but we see happening in other places. But this one is happening right in front of our eyes. On campus, right now, we have four NC State students who have joined the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and we really want students to stand up and learn about this injustice that’s happening right in front of their eyes.”

The petition’s end goal is to reinstate Edwards as assistant director at the Pride Center. Combined with the Graduate Student Union’s petition, they have garnered over 1,000 signatures.

The PSL plans to continue outreach on and around campus to inform students about the situation. Going forward, they will continue to collect support and potentially attend meetings with the UNC Board of Governors, should the opportunity arise.

Simmons said this is not merely about a beloved staff member losing their position, but speaks of a pervasive problem regarding universities as a whole. “I think in recent years, we’ve really seen a degradation of the key role of schools, which is that they are their learning centers, places where students can go to not be judged, to be protected from all of the stuff that’s happening, because they’re there to learn and grow as people.”

She also expressed some doubts regarding the administration’s intentions in firing Edwards, “I have been disappointed in this administration before, but this has truly been kind of an eye-opening experience … even faculties of NC State have spoken out against what the faculty and administrators have done here, having said it wasn’t right.”

“It doesn’t violate anything, not even the anti-DEI policies. It doesn’t make sense at all, and I think it’s just a clear act of malice. It makes me wonder if there is some sort of homophobia going on within the faculty of the school that made this decision, and that makes me very concerned for the safety of LGBTQ students on campus.”

Many NC State students felt that the removal of Edwards was uncalled for that he was a vital part of the Pride Center and provided a lot of support for LGBTQ+ students. Sage Cohen, a fourth-year student studying psychology, said, “Jae was, honestly, to me at least, the life of the Pride Center … he made me aware of a program that the Pride Center has to help students. When I was struggling financially, I was able to get money to help pay for my health insurance. Without Jae, that wouldn’t have happened.”

There’s also a desire for transparency among students, Cohen said. “If they’re not going to rehire Jae, then they at least need to be honest with us about why exactly he was fired, because from what I heard in that video, all Jay said was that, no matter what, they would continue to support students. He did not say that he was going against the law.”

Julia Gray, a third-year student studying history and vice president of Bi/Pan, said that Edwards’ losing his job was, “unfair and uncalled for.”

“I think, overall, it’s going to mean administrative trouble for one, because Jae did help organize a lot of stuff … he helped people feel comfortable in the space. So not only will we have trouble setting things up and doing more in the future, but we will also be losing a key, a core aspect of the center that we have,” she said.

Dani Fierro, a first-year student studying mathematics, said she has known Edwards for a long time. Since she often went to the Pride Center before she was a full-time student at NC State and can attest to his good character.

“The fact that someone had planted a camera in the center over a year ago and had held on to that footage does bring a bit of paranoia within the community. I think that requires a different approach to internal security and community. That also means that there is more of a need for us to stick together,” said Fierro.

There is also concern about Chancellor Howell’s priorities.

“From what I’ve heard from him, Chancellor Howell sounds, at least, like he runs on a platform of caring deeply about students and what they need … if an independent journalist with a clearly biased agenda is actively targeting someone to get them fired over what’s hardly even an infraction of the rules, and you let that stick, that says a lot about what NC State leadership prioritizes. To me, that shows that they don’t truly prioritize the students or their staff. That shows a level of callousness towards the population, and I cannot respect them on those grounds,” Fierro said.

The community is feeling the loss of Edwards on many levels. His role at the Pride Center was essential not only for administrative duties, but to the students whom he advocated for and comforted in an ever-changing society. Many hope Edwards is reinstated soon.