Helyeh Doutaghi, a scholar in international law, began a new position in 2023 as the deputy director of a project at Yale Law School. Known for her advocacy of pro-Palestinian causes, Dr. Doutaghi aligned with the Law and Political Economy Project's mission, which focuses on promoting economic, racial, and gender equality.
Recently, however, she was abruptly barred from Yale’s campus and placed on administrative leave. The university cited allegations of her connections to entities subject to U.S. sanctions, seemingly referring to Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian organization that was added to the U.S. sanctions list last year for allegedly functioning as a “sham charity” linked to a terrorist organization.
This decision followed the publication of an article by an AI-powered news site that labeled her a member of a terrorist group based on her participation in events sponsored by Samidoun. Dr. Doutaghi’s attorney asserted that she is not affiliated with Samidoun and emphasized her commitment to Palestinian rights while denying any violation of U.S. law.
The swift action against Dr. Doutaghi highlights the challenges faced by American universities amid scrutiny from the Trump administration. Yale, along with others, could face federal funding cuts if found to have allowed antisemitic behavior. Recently, Columbia University lost $400 million in federal funding due to similar accusations.
Yale Law School responded to the allegations against Dr. Doutaghi by stating that they take such claims seriously and have initiated an investigation to ascertain the facts. They clarified that such actions are not based on a person's protected speech.
Dr. Doutaghi characterized the actions against her as attempts to silence scholars, likening the atmosphere to that under authoritarian regimes. She expressed her concern over the implications of such measures for academic freedom.
The article that triggered the university's actions was published on March 2 by Jewish Onliner, which employs AI for content generation but does not disclose its staff. Efforts to contact the site resulted in responses from an AI assistant, indicating that final edits are performed by human staff despite the anonymity of its contributors.
Concerns over the reliability of AI-generated reporting have been raised by various publications, including Haaretz. Dr. Doutaghi's attorney also expressed skepticism regarding Jewish Onliner’s reporting in correspondence with Yale.
In correspondence regarding her administrative leave, Yale's senior associate dean referenced serious allegations concerning her activities with sanctioned entities. Meanwhile, Samidoun maintains that its mission is to advocate for Palestinian prisoners and amplify voices for justice and human rights.
Dr. Doutaghi's dissertation at Carleton University examined the impact of U.S. and EU sanctions on Iran, and she joined Yale shortly before the recent Hamas attack on Israel. She asserted that Yale was aware of her views upon hiring her, believing they would benefit the project.
Previously, Dr. Doutaghi was highlighted by the Law and Political Economy Project in a virtual event addressing topics including “genocide in Palestine,” a characterization some groups labeled as antisemitic. Following the publication of the Jewish Onliner article, she faced online harassment and subsequently retained legal representation, requesting time to prepare for a meeting with Yale officials.
Ultimately, Dr. Doutaghi was barred from campus and placed on leave three days after the article's release. Her attorney hopes to restore her position and reputation within the university.