Comcast has reportedly fired a longtime employee after a viral petition alleging that he is a member of the right-wing group the “Proud Boys.”
Comcast told Philadelphia magazine that Andrew Kovalic, who worked as a communications technician with the company for a decade, was no longer working for them.
{mosads}“There’s no place for disrespectful, offensive behavior in our culture,” the company said. “The individual is no longer employed by Comcast.”
More than 400 people signed a petition directed at Comcast CEO Brian Roberts that described Kovalic as a “white supremacist.”
The petition linked to a Twitter thread from a left-wing activist that identified Kovalic as a “Harrisburg PA Proud Boys Rally Captain,” and noted that he is scheduled to work as “security” at a right-wing rally in Philadelphia later this month.
The Twitter user included a photo of Kovalic, wearing his Comcast uniform, flashing a hand gesture that is associated with white supremacist movements.
The Harrisburg Proud Boys told Philadelphia magazine in an emailed statement: “We like beer. We still like beer. Have a Dick pic. Sincerely, The Greatest F—ing Fraternity in the History of Mankind.”
The magazine was not able to reach Kovalic for comment.
The Proud Boys have been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and members have been involved in a series of political clashes and have attended white supremacist rallies. The organization claims to not be a white nationalist group.
Last month, several people linked to the group were arrested in a street fight in New York. Several tech platforms, including Amazon and PayPal, have cut ties with the Proud Boys in recent weeks.