To all those who read this message: BRING MEGAN PUGH BACK TO UNC ASHEVILLE!

Megan Pugh, the Dean of Students of UNC Asheville, was recently ousted from her role by university administration, as a result of a right-wing journalist goading her and recording her without her consent. In this video, she stated her commitment to protecting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives despite the UNC Board of Governor's attempts to dismantle it. As a result, multiple right-wing news organizations, including FOX News, have put her full name on the Internet out there, attacking her for daring to defend equity in a time of historic attacks against civil rights.

This is following a similar attempt by these same right-wing journalists to remove a UNC Charlotte administrator, and it is clear to all those who can see it that this is an attack targeted at Black women who are daring to stand up for their most diverse students, even against a deeply politicized, out-of-touch governmental entity.

As a current student at UNC Asheville who has been involved in student government and other clubs, I can say with certainty that Megan Pugh has been instrumental to my success and the success of the students here at UNCA. She is kind, compassionate, dedicated, and generous -- from my first few days at freshman orientation meeting her, to all the times where I have stopped by her office for support, to now, I can say with confidence that in this time of Republican opposition to the very values that UNCA has stood for, Megan Pugh has been the force that represents those values.

You are now seeing in real time what it means to silence diverse voices, and you are now seeing in real time the kind of unjust, prejudiced law that leads to the silencing of minority voices. There are people who say that if they were alive in the Civil Rights era, or during another similar time with great systemic injustices, they would speak out, stand against it, even if it would mean going against the law. The removal of DEI, despite DEI being a force that seeks to close proven institutional gaps in treatment of minorities, is blatantly a violation of civil rights, and Megan is part of the strength of UNC Asheville when it comes to resisting the discriminatory treatment of the Board of Governors. We must be part of that strength, too -- we must support her, as she has supported our community.

Megan Pugh fights for the right for all students to have EQUAL opportunity, and she was removed for that reason -- and she deserves to be reinstated. The UNCA community and the Asheville community at large do NOT stand for this decision, and this petition was created to reflect to the wider community of that.

I ask that you sign this, and send it to anyone and everyone you can -- whether they go to UNC Asheville or not, or whether they live in Asheville or not, or even whether they live in North Carolina or not. Repost it on your Instagram stories, share it on Facebook, share it to incoming students, alumni, faculty, etc. I also ask that if you have had a positive experience with Megan, that it would mean the world to me and to others if you would write it down with your signature. The world needs to see that she is supported -- and she deserves to see that she is supported.