Yale Suspends Scholar After A.I.-Powered News Site Accuses Her of Terrorist Link

Helyeh Doutaghi, an international law scholar, took on a new role in 2023 as the deputy director of a project at Yale Law School.

As an activist advocating for Palestinian rights through her academic work and public engagements, Dr. Doutaghi appeared to align with the progressive mission of the Law and Political Economy Project, which promotes economic, racial, and gender equality.

However, last week, she was suddenly barred from Yale’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut, and placed on administrative leave. She was instructed not to publicly associate herself with the university, where she also held a position as an associate research scholar.

Yale officials cited allegations linking her to organizations under U.S. sanctions. This seemingly referred to Samidoun, a pro-Palestinian group designated by the U.S. Treasury Department as a “sham charity” that funds the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S.

The decision followed a report published by an AI-assisted news outlet, which claimed Dr. Doutaghi had ties to Samidoun. The site described her as a member of a terrorist organization, citing references to her participation in Samidoun-sponsored events. However, her attorney refuted these claims, stating that while she had spoken at such events, she was not a member of Samidoun.

In an interview, Dr. Doutaghi, 30, described herself as an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights. “I am a scholar,” she asserted. “I am not affiliated with any organization that would violate U.S. law.”

Her case highlights the growing challenges faced by American universities under the Trump administration’s scrutiny. Last week, Columbia University lost $400 million in federal funding after being accused of tolerating antisemitism. On Monday, the Trump administration announced that Yale was among 60 universities that could face similar funding cuts if found to have permitted antisemitic behavior.

In a statement on Tuesday, Yale Law School characterized the allegations against Dr. Doutaghi as “potentially unlawful conduct.”

“We take these allegations very seriously and have launched an investigation to establish the facts,” said Alden Ferro, a spokesperson for Yale Law. “These actions are never taken based on an individual’s protected speech.”

Dr. Doutaghi argued that the accusations were an effort to suppress academic voices. “This is the kind of suppression seen in authoritarian regimes, which Donald Trump is trying to create,” she said.

The article about Dr. Doutaghi was published on March 2 by Jewish Onliner, a platform that claims to leverage AI technology for news reporting. The site does not list any reporters and, when contacted for comment, responded through an AI assistant named “JO.” Later, the site clarified that while AI is used for research and fact-checking, final edits are made by human staff, whose identities are kept anonymous due to concerns about professional repercussions.

In January, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz questioned the reliability of AI-driven news sites, noting their role in advancing pro-Israel narratives online.

Eric Lee, Dr. Doutaghi’s lawyer, also raised concerns about the credibility of Jewish Onliner’s reporting in communications with Yale.

In a March 5 letter placing Dr. Doutaghi on administrative leave, Yale’s senior associate dean, Joseph M. Crosby, referenced the allegations against her. “As you are aware, the university is reviewing serious claims regarding your involvement with entities under U.S. sanctions,” the letter stated.

Samidoun, which operates in Vancouver and London, describes its mission as supporting Palestinian prisoners and amplifying the voices of Palestinian advocates for justice and human rights.

Dr. Doutaghi’s academic background includes a Ph.D. from Carleton University in Ottawa, where her dissertation focused on the impact of U.S. and EU sanctions on Iran. She officially received her doctorate after joining the Yale project.

Amy Kapczynski, a Yale Law professor who co-founded the project with external grant funding, envisioned it as an initiative to analyze the systemic conditions that led to Trump’s election and to challenge neoliberalism in America. She has not commented on the situation.

Dr. Doutaghi joined the project in October 2023, just days before the Hamas attack on Israel. As an Iranian and a Muslim, she stated that Yale was fully aware of her perspectives when she was hired.

“I actually thought my background would be an asset to the project I was recruited to help lead,” she said.

Initially, the Law and Political Economy Project appeared to support her views, even featuring her in a virtual discussion titled “A Political Economy of Genocide and Imperialism.” The event’s webpage, which referred to “genocide in Palestine”—a phrase some pro-Israel groups deem antisemitic—has since been removed.

Following the publication of Jewish Onliner’s article, Dr. Doutaghi reported receiving threats and online harassment. She was then summoned by Yale officials to address the allegations. Citing Ramadan fasting and ongoing harassment, she requested additional time to prepare for the meeting and retained legal counsel.

However, just three days after the article was published, Yale barred her from campus and placed her on administrative leave. In his letter, Dean Crosby stated that the university had yet to receive “any responses or factual clarifications” from her.

Dr. Doutaghi’s attorney, Mr. Lee, is now seeking to have her reinstated with full access to university resources. He is also urging Yale to take “public action to restore her reputation.”