Helyeh Doutaghi, a scholar of international law who was accused of having connections to terrorism by an AI-powered news site, Jewish Onliner, says Yale Law School has sacked her.
In March, Yale suspended Ms Doutaghi while it investigated the accusations. “I have been terminated based on unproven allegations, absent any due process or substantiated claim,” Ms Doutaghi posted to X. “This sets a chilling precedent.”
In a statement to The National, Alden Ferro, a senior associate of public affairs at Yale, said that the school repeatedly tried to talk to Ms Doutaghi and her lawyer but she refused to meet to respond to critical questions. “As a result of her refusal to co-operate with this investigation, her employment with Yale – which was set to expire this April – has been terminated effective immediately."
Her lawyer, Eric Lee, accused Yale of being disingenuous. “It is not true,” he posted to X. “Yale made a decision to fire her without a fair process. Another capitulation to Trump by a major university.”
The website at the centre of the accusations, Jewish Onliner, said Ms Doutaghi was connected to the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, which the US Treasury Department in 2024 designated a “sham charity” and an “international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organisation”. Shortly after the report circulated, Yale put Ms Doutaghi on administrative leave, pending an investigation.
In an interview with The National, Jewish Onliner, which uses AI to expose “anti-Israel movements”, defended its content and accusations against Ms Doutaghi. “She is not necessarily refuting claims of membership in Samidoun – she is merely rejecting the characterisation of herself as a terrorist,” the email read in part.
A petition calling on Yale University to reinstate Ms Doutaghi has received more than 1,100 signatures.
