Yale Law School Suspends Scholar After ‘Jewish Onliner’ Exposes Her Ties to Terror Group

Investigation found that since 2022, Helyeh Doutaghi has been associated with Samidoun, which was designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. in October 2024.

Yale Law School has placed Associate Research Scholar Helyeh Doutaghi on administrative leave following revelations first reported by Jewish Onliner regarding her connections to the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, an organization designated as a terrorist front by the U.S. Treasury Department in October 2024. The designation was due to Samidoun serving as a fundraising front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)—also a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.

The investigation uncovered that Doutaghi—who serves as the Deputy Director of Yale Law School’s Law and Political Economy Project—has been affiliated with Samidoun since at least 2022, when the organization identified her as a "doctoral student of international law and a member of the international Samidoun Network."

Following the publication of these findings, The Buckley Beacon and The Washington Free Beacon also reported on Doutaghi’s alleged connections, citing Jewish Onliner’s initial findings.

Yale Responds to Allegations

In response to the reports, Yale Law School confirmed that Doutaghi has been placed on leave while the university conducts an internal review.

“We take these allegations extremely seriously and immediately opened an investigation into the matter to ascertain the facts,” said Alden Ferro, Yale Law School’s Senior Associate Director of Public Affairs. He also noted that Doutaghi’s short-term role with the Law and Political Economy (LPE) Project is set to end next month.

While Yale has not confirmed whether Doutaghi will be permanently disassociated from the university, the ongoing review suggests that the institution is carefully considering the matter.

A Broader Debate on Academic Oversight

The case has sparked discussion within legal and academic circles about how universities should handle potential affiliations with organizations that have been sanctioned or linked to extremist activities.

Doutaghi’s connection to Yale Law School has also drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and administration officials in Washington, where concerns over anti-Semitism and extremism on university campuses have gained national attention. With billions of dollars in federal funding supporting higher education, calls for increased oversight are mounting. "Schools like Yale that coddle anti-Semitic extremists in their student body or faculty should not see a dime of federal funding," said Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), chairman of the Republican Conference and the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Doutaghi has not publicly commented on the allegations. Yale Law School has not provided a timeline for completing its investigation but has emphasized that it is taking the matter seriously.

As the internal investigation continues, Yale’s response may set a precedent for how universities address concerns about faculty involvement with terror groups.

Jewish Onliner will continue to monitor developments in this case and provide updates as new information emerges.