House Republicans Accuse APA of Antisemitism, Recommend Stripping Accreditation Power
House Republicans accused the American Psychological Association of antisemitism in a 22-page report released Thursday, threatening the organization’s power to accredit college psychology programs across the United States.
Report Details Listserv Communications Following October 7 Attack
The congressional report from the House Education and Workforce Committee examines public listservs and internal communications within the American Psychological Association immediately following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. According to the document, certain members utilized internal listservs to claim Hamas was protecting civilians and deserved praise, while another participant described the October 7 assault as the sole sign of life and resistance for Palestinians.
The 22-page document also outlines internal resistance faced by Jewish psychologists who sought to establish an official association subgroup. While the organization permitted analogous groups for Black and Arab psychologists, petitioners were told they had benefited from white privilege.
🚨 THE APA’S OWN WORDS EXPOSE EVERYTHING. Antisemitism. Political activism. Compromised professional standards. Committee Republicans are exposing what’s happening inside the organization that helps shape the future of psychology in America. See the evidence for yourself. ⬇️… pic.twitter.com/DPb6z4dX31
Leadership Correspondence Compares Middle East Conflict to Domestic Protests
Internal emails obtained by the committee reveal that Cynthia de las Fuentes corresponded with Thema Bryant regarding the organization’s initial statement on the October 7 violence. Bryant, holding the role of association president during that period, forwarded the group’s official position on the raid to incoming president-elect de las Fuentes; the text denounced “the recent violent attack by Hamas on Israel” while asserting that the “situation is complicated,” though it omitted the term “terrorism.”
De las Fuentes argued against critics who pointed to a more pointed statement the association issued after the death of George Floyd, declaring a “racism pandemic” in America. Writing that “Jews” aren’t victims, de las Fuentes stated that “Members of the police are equivalent to members of believers of ‘by any means necessary’ in achieving the goals of Zionism, similar to other terrorist groups’ missions,” and stated that “George Floyd is representative of Gazans.”
Additional emails show Sheehi, who served as president of the association’s psychoanalysis division, communicating with de las Fuentes to characterize Israel’s actions as an “all out genocide” and dismiss the notion that Jews are “indigenous” to Israel as “dangerous, ahistorical propaganda.” De las Fuentes expressed “gratitude” for Sheehi, while Bryant praised Sheehi’s “heart, truth, challenge, and compassion.”
Congress Threatens to Strip Accreditation Authority
The congressional threat to strip the American Psychological Association of its federal accreditation authority follows actions by a federal oversight board. In late September, a key federal oversight board voted to recommend suspending the association as a federal accreditor, a step that would strip its status for the first time in the organization’s history if accepted by the Secretary of Education, as detailed by City Journal.
Critics point to politicized programming, including critical psychotherapies regarding gender identity and social-justice standards that commenters argue undermine program quality and fail to address antisemitism. Colin Wright and Andrew Hartz noted that roughly 70 of the 90 panels at a 2026 APA conference had clear ideological agendas.
Association Response and Denials
Wendi Williams, the president of the American Psychological Association, denied the allegations. In a joint statement with CEO Arthur Evans Jr., leadership asserted that the organization unequivocally condemns antisemitism in all its forms and disagreed with the committee’s findings.
Ever since these issues were initially brought to the attention of the A.P.A., Williams noted, the association has implemented constructive measures to guarantee that Jewish members enjoy secure and unimpeded participation in both the group and the wider profession, just like any other members. The association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.