Yale Law School suspends pro-Palestine professor

Helyeh Doutaghi, a scholar at Yale Law School, has been placed on administrative leave following false accusations of terrorism due to her pro-Palestinian stance.

Doutaghi, an expert in international law and political economy, was targeted by a Zionist AI-powered platform, Jewish Onliner, which labeled her as a "terrorist" over her connections to Palestine advocacy organizations.

Despite the baseless nature of the claims, Yale Law School swiftly moved to suspend her, revoking her access to email and banning her from campus.

Doutaghi’s suspension came after an interrogation conducted by an attorney, David Ring, from a firm with strong ties to defense contractors involved in the military-industrial complex. Despite concerns over potential conflicts of interest, Yale proceeded with the interrogation, which Doutaghi argues was designed not to uncover the truth but to justify a predetermined outcome.

Suspended for Pro-Palestine Speech: My Statement on Yale Law School’s Embrace of AI-Generated Smears 1/3 pic.twitter.com/9GomHHXTNO

— Helyeh Doutaghi (@Helyeh_Doutaghi) March 12, 2025

In her statement, Doutaghi criticized the university’s actions, claiming they violated her constitutional rights, free speech, and academic freedom. She sees this incident as part of a broader effort to suppress Palestinian solidarity and dissent, which she likens to a new era of "Zionist McCarthyism."

Yale's financial connections to defense companies, such as General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin, which manufacture weapons used in the 'Israeli' military, further fuel Doutaghi’s belief that the university is complicit in perpetuating the 'Israeli'-Palestinian conflict.

Doutaghi, who is a Muslim-Iranian woman, argues that her suspension is symptomatic of a wider crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices in academia. She emphasizes that the backlash she faces is part of a greater authoritarian movement using AI and state power to stifle free speech and dissent, warning that academia is being transformed into a tool for the repression of marginalized voices.

Notably, it's not just Yale involved in this controversy. New York is currently in an uproar following the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestine Columbia University graduate, who is facing potential deportation. Columbia also suspended and expelled several pro-Palestine students for their 2024 occupation of Hind's Hall.

Read more: Columbia University expels students over Hind’s Hall occupation protest

The case has sparked international controversy, with growing calls for Yale to publicly retract the allegations against Doutaghi and to disclose its ties to the military-industrial complex. Despite facing intense pressure, Doutaghi remains resolute in her commitment to Palestinian liberation and condemns what she describes as a larger systemic effort to silence resistance to US imperialism and 'Israeli' policies.

As the situation unfolds, Doutaghi is calling for a boycott of Yale Law School and urging academics and students nationwide to challenge the university’s role in supporting the repression of free speech. Her stance reflects a broader call for solidarity with Palestine and a challenge to the structures that enable the ongoing conflict.

Doutaghi said she remains determined to continue her work for justice, emphasizing that her commitment to Palestinian liberation is unwavering and not reliant on institutional recognition or approval.

Read more: VIDEO: Judge stops Trump admin from deporting Palestinian Columbia graduate