George Washington University professor Lara Sheehi cleared of anti-Semitism allegation after investigation

An Arab professor at a US university who had been accused of anti-Semitism has been cleared of the allegations, following an investigation.

Lara Sheehi, a professor of psychology at George Washington University in the US capital, who previously studied at the American University of Beirut, was accused by several of her students of anti-Semitism after hosting a Palestinian guest lecturer in addition to several of her alleged comments.

A group of Jewish and Israeli students said that Sheehi had unfairly singled them out for their identities, something Sheehi denied.

The case escalated with the involvement of a pro-Israel organisation StandWithUs that took up the students' cause, part of a growing trend of such groups focusing on campus issues related to Israeli and Palestinian issues.

An outside firm investigating the matter, Crowell & Moring LLP, however, cleared Sheehi of the allegations, saying that the pro-Israel group had advocated for an expansive use of anti-Semitism that could infringe on free speech, according to a report by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

"After careful review, I believe the summary faithfully represents what the university learned through this third-party investigation," George Washington University President Mark Wrighton wrote in a letter to the university community, JTA reported.

"Looking forward, we will continue to work closely with our community members as well as campus and national partners to best support our Jewish and Arab communities," he added. 

The New Arab contacted GW for comment but did not get a response by press time.