The American Psychological Association is facing a federal civil rights investigation after the Department of Health and Human Services determined there was sufficient cause to examine allegations of antisemitic discrimination raised by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.
The investigation marks the latest development in a growing debate over how professional organizations, universities, and other institutions have addressed issues surrounding Israel, Zionism, and the war in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
According to the Brandeis Center, it filed its complaint with HHS on Aug. 8, 2025, alleging that the APA had become a vehicle for anti-Israel activism and discriminatory treatment of Jewish members. The organization argued that the association, which represents more than 172,000 psychologists and receives millions of dollars in federal funding, had crossed the line from political advocacy into conduct that may violate federal civil rights laws.
Among the allegations cited in the complaint are claims that APA conferences featured presentations that characterized the October 7 attacks as actions directed against military targets rather than acts of terrorism. The complaint also alleges that communications circulated through APA-affiliated channels included messages praising Hamas, advocating boycotts of Israel, comparing conditions in Gaza to the Warsaw Ghetto, and expressing hostility toward the Jewish state.
The Brandeis Center further contends that the APA promoted what it describes as discriminatory practices through educational programming and professional development activities. One area of concern involves so-called “Decolonial Therapy,” which the complaint characterizes as an approach that frames Zionism as a pathology and encourages patients to reject it.
By party, more of Americans’ sympathy is with:
Republicans
• Palestinians: 13%
• Israelis: 70%Democrats
• Palestinians: 65%
• Israelis: 17%Independents
• Palestinians: 41%
• Israelis: 30%👉🏻 https://t.co/046ucHZwId https://t.co/95VxviOZ5q
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) February 27, 2026
In a June 2 letter cited by the Brandeis Center, the HHS Office for Civil Rights stated that it had determined there was sufficient authority and cause to investigate whether the APA engaged in discrimination based on race, color, or national origin under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
Kenneth Marcus, chairman and CEO of the Brandeis Center, welcomed the decision.
“When one of the nation’s most influential psychological organizations permits anti-Semitic discrimination and marginalizes Jewish professionals, federal civil rights scrutiny is entirely appropriate,” Marcus said. “We commend HHS for taking these allegations seriously and investigating whether federal law has been violated.”
Rebecca Harris, an attorney with the Brandeis Center, argued that some psychologists have increasingly incorporated political activism into clinical settings.
“You have anti-Israel activist psychologists teaching courses about ‘psychic militancy’ and teaching about how to incorporate the ‘resistance’ or the ‘Palestinian liberation struggle’ into the clinical practice of mental health care,” Harris told Jewish News Syndicate.
She said the organization’s goal is not to dictate political views but to ensure compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.
“Our hope is that HHS will ensure that if APA is going to continue to be a recipient of federal funds, that it comes into compliance with its obligations under the federal civil rights law,” Harris said.
The investigation unfolds against a backdrop of shifting public opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Gallup polling released earlier this year found that sympathy toward Palestinians has increased significantly among Americans, narrowing and in some cases reversing trends that had favored Israel for decades.
Gallup reported that 41 percent of Americans now say they sympathize more with Palestinians, while 36 percent sympathize more with Israelis. The numbers represent a dramatic shift from historical patterns in which Israel routinely enjoyed large advantages in public opinion.
The divide is particularly pronounced along partisan lines. According to Gallup, 70 percent of Republicans say they sympathize more with Israel, compared with 13 percent who favor the Palestinians. Among Democrats, the pattern is reversed, with 65 percent expressing greater sympathy for Palestinians and 17 percent for Israelis.
