Rashida Tlaib slams anti-israel Arab group over handling of sexual harassment claims
The leadership of a prominent Arab-American advocacy group active in anti-Israel campus protests is under fire after Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., blasted the group over past sexual harassment allegations, while a former board member says he was ousted after raising harassment concerns with the DC attorney general’s office.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), one of the country’s oldest Arab-American civil rights organizations, came under renewed scrutiny after former board member Dr. Ed Hasan filed a formal complaint on April 22 outlining concerns about the organization’s internal handling of allegations.
Tlaib said she was sexually harassed while working for the group early in her career and has accused the organization of failing to properly address the issue, renewing attention to longstanding allegations in a recent video posted to social media. The group has played a visible role in campus protests tied to the Israel-Hamas war, including providing legal support and advocacy for student demonstrators.
Hasan, a Georgetown University adjunct lecturer, said he filed a formal derivative demand on April 22 seeking corrective action — including the removal of board leadership — and shared those concerns with the attorney general’s office.
He said he raised concerns about harassment and governance failures and expected an independent investigation, but instead alleged the organization conducted an internal review and removed him from his board position within days, which he described as retaliation.
Hasan also criticized how the review was handled, saying the board investigated the matter internally despite his objections that it should be handled by an independent third party, creating what he described as a conflict of interest.
"A board cannot investigate itself," he said.
"Since then, additional survivors have shared deeply painful experiences with me, making it clear that these are not isolated incidents but part of a systemic problem," he added. Fox News Digital has not independently verified those claims.
"In my professional view, meaningful change will require the resignation of the current board and the creation of a community-driven interim transitional board to rebuild trust and safety," he added.
In a public statement, ADC said it had been reviewing concerns raised "across various platforms" and acknowledged that some allegations reference incidents from more than a decade ago.
"Because we recognize that the passage of time does not erase harm, we reiterate our previous apology sincerely and without reservation," the organization said.
ADC added that it maintains a "zero-tolerance policy for harassment" and warned against the spread of misinformation, saying it would defend itself against "false claims."
Tlaib described her experience working at the group’s Michigan office early in her career in a video posted to social media last week.
She said she was sexually harassed while working at the organization and that the alleged misconduct later escalated to involve multiple women, with more than two dozen individuals coming forward with similar accounts.
Tlaib accused the organization of failing to properly address the allegations, saying the individual accused of misconduct "didn’t get fired" and was instead "paid… to just go away."
She also suggested leadership sought to minimize the issue, saying they "threw it under the rug."
Tlaib said she spoke out again after discovering the organization was using her image on its website.
"Shame on you for using the image of a victim of your organization and continuation of a toxic work environment. You all haven't changed," Tlaib wrote.
"I stand with all of ADC’s survivors who were shamed instead of protected and believed," she added.
The allegations referenced by Tlaib were publicly reported more than a decade ago, when multiple women came forward with claims of misconduct involving a senior staffer, distinguishing them from Hasan’s more recent governance-related claims.
Other activists have echoed similar criticisms.
Palestinian-American political analyst Omar Baddar, who previously led a regional ADC chapter, said he stood with Tlaib outside an ADC event 13 years ago, demanding accountability over sexual harassment allegations involving a senior staffer. Fox News Digital has not independently verified those claims.
It is not clear whether any criminal charges were filed in connection with the past allegations.
ADC referred Fox News Digital to a statement posted on its social media accounts when asked for additional comment. Fox News Digital has also reached out to Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s office and the attorney general’s office for comment.