The HN title added the word "rationalist", which isn't in the source article. This is editorializing in a way that feels kind of slander-y. Their relationship to the bay area rationalist community is that we kicked them out long before any of this started.
I mean, they seemed kind of visibly crazy, often saying threatening things to others, talking about doing crazy experiments with their sleep, often insinuating violence. They were pretty solidly banned from the community after their crazy "CFAR Alumni Reunion" protest stunt, and before then were already very far into the fringes.