Haverford College Professor Faces Federal Cyberstalking Charges

An associate professor at Haverford College, Guangtian Ha, has been charged with federal cyberstalking for allegedly orchestrating an online antisemitic campaign against a Jewish colleague and his family. This initiative reportedly lasted several months.

Ha utilized anonymous X accounts to send threatening messages, including antisemitic language and images, such as his colleague’s mailbox.

His arrest occurred on October 6. The allegations detailed in the federal indictment cover events from October 2025 to May 2026. Lori Lowenthal Marcus, legal director of The Deborah Project, commented on these events, drawing attention to anti-Zionism issues on campus.

According to Marcus, Ha’s messages were predominantly hatred-filled remarks against Jews, which included death threats. The indictment claims Ha used accounts named “America1st33509” and “America1stLM” for sending harassing messages during this period.

Messages from Ha included statements like “Jew, get the f— out of my country” and “LM Jews are going to have it big time”. The indictment highlights how these threats compelled the victim to take security measures, which Ha ridiculed in his posts.

Other posts included ominous warnings referencing the Holocaust and Nazi symbols. Despite attempts to hide his location using VPNs, federal authorities traced the messages back to him.

He remains detained pending trial. Haverford College has placed him on administrative leave. College President Wendy Raymond publicly denounced the alleged behavior and affirmed support for the victims, cooperating with law enforcement.

Raymond emphasized that harassment based on identity contradicts Haverford’s values. The incident has raised broader concerns about antisemitic harassment disguised as political discourse.

These developments coincide with a previous federal civil rights lawsuit involving Ha’s social media posts, citing threats against those silent on the Middle East situation. Marcus expressed hope that Ha’s indictment would prompt institutions to recognize antisemitic harassment concealed under political speech.