Whistleblower alleges political pressure, lack of evidence in antisemitism probes targeting schools - apnews.com

A whistleblower complaint obtained by The Associated Press alleges that a Trump administration task force created to combat antisemitism pushed for settlements with Ivy League universities despite investigations that were rushed, incomplete, or failed to establish legal violations.
The former Justice Department lawyer, identified as Haley Van Erem, claims the outcomes of probes into prestigious academic institutions were "predetermined, without regard to the evidence" in a "politically mandated effort" to extract money through settlement demands and funding freezes.
The complaint describes the task force's work—launched by the Justice Department under then-Attorney General Pam Bondi in February 2025—as "marked by extraordinary procedural irregularities" and disregard for the law and Constitution.
Van Erem, who spent nearly a decade in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said she was involuntarily reassigned to the Department of Health and Human Services to work on the Title VI investigations into the universities.
Her lawyers filed the disclosure with inspectors general at the Justice Department and HHS, as well as the Office of Special Counsel, and a key House Democrat is publicizing the allegations.
The complaint feeds into a wider debate over the administration's response to antisemitism concerns raised during campus protests over Israel's war in Gaza, with critics arguing the government's approach was heavy-handed and infringed on free speech rights.