Update Feb. 26 4:10 p.m.: Editor-in-chief Tyler Fleming and state and national editor Ana Irizarry met with and identified a senior faculty member to confirm the existence of the group. The professor confirmed that there are 17 senior faculty members as a part of the group that sent the letter to the chancellor. The faculty member did not disclose a list of the members. 

Update Feb. 25 2:15 p.m.: Tanya Moore, University spokesperson, said the chancellor has received the letter, but the University can't confirm if it is authentic.

Read more: Where does UNC stand in the Confederate monument debate plaguing universities?

A group of 17 senior faculty – all at the full or endowed chair level – have sent a letter to UNC Chancellor Carol Folt demanding the University take down Silent Sam.

The group said if the University does not take down the Confederate monument before Thursday, they will do it themselves. 

"We do not fear arrest, indeed we welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the commitment that the Carolina faculty has to the wellbeing of its students and the principles that make this university great," the group said in the letter.

The Daily Tar Heel reached out to the group, and its members wish to remain anonymous. The Daily Tar Heel does not know who the members of the group are or who sent the email. They said they are faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health and the School of Law. 

Read more: Silent Sam "difficult" for University, says Folt

Below is a screenshot of the email they sent to the chancellor, which links to a PDF if clicked.

This is a developing story, and will continue to be updated. 

Read more: Local legislators collaborate with community leaders to relocate Silent Sam