Peter: The FBI investigated the charges made against Highlander Folk School for a considerable period of time.
A July 1963 FBI memo summarizes their file on HFS:
“Due to the interracial character of the School, it has been the subject of numerous allegations that it represented the headquarters of communism in east Tennessee. An extensive investigation was conducted in 1941 and 1942 as a result of the allegations. These allegations have never been substantiated and much of the information of a subversive derogatory nature concerning this School was later repudiated by the individuals who previously furnished the information...This organization has continuously been involved in the integration movement and as a result charges are being continuously made that it is ‘communist’. These charges are based mainly on the opinion of the individuals making the charges that being pro-integration is being pro-communist.” [64-7511-286, July 26, 1963, F.J. Baumgardner to W.C. Sullivan].
Now, with respect to Donald West and Myles Horton. What the JBS (and yourself) never bother to point out is that West and Horton had a nasty falling out (reportedly over West’s much more radical viewpoints) and West left HFS.
Of course, HFS was a “left-wing group” especially IF it is your contention that
(1) ANY critic of segregation, or
(2) ANY person who advocated for labor union rights, or
(3) ANY person who worked with African Americans to teach them about their legal rights with respect to voting registration and voting — is, ipso facto, “left wing”.
Personally, I think of those positions as more “American” than “left wing” — BUT, in the time period (and the environment) in which HFS worked, such ideas were considered radical left wing.