The complaint says APA allowed the use of “Decolonial Therapy” and related training programs that characterize Zionism as a mental illness.
By Shula Rosen
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the American Psychological Association (APA) following allegations that the organization discriminated against Jewish and Israeli psychologists while receiving federal funding.
The investigation stems from a complaint filed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, which alleges the APA promoted anti-Zionist and antisemitic ideologies through federally funded programs and permitted discrimination against Jewish members.
In a June 2 letter to the Brandeis Center, the Office for Civil Rights said it had determined there was sufficient authority and cause to investigate whether the APA violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act by engaging in discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.
The complaint alleges the APA allowed the use of “Decolonial Therapy” and related training programs that characterize Zionism as a mental illness and encourage patients to reject it.
Additional allegations include anti-Israel and antisemitic messaging distributed through official APA channels, continuing education programs and conference presentations, as well as the exclusion of Jewish and Israeli psychologists from organizational activities.
The Brandeis Center also alleged that the APA tolerated harassment of Jewish members, refused to establish an official Jewish affinity group, questioned whether Jews should be recognized as an ethnic group, and failed to implement recommendations from its own antisemitism task force.
The federal inquiry is proceeding alongside an investigation by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce examining how the APA addresses allegations of antisemitic discrimination in psychological training and continuing education programs.
The Brandeis Center said its complaint included accounts from Jewish and Israeli psychologists who reported being ostracized, marginalized and subjected to hostility within APA-affiliated settings.
“The mental health profession is built on trust, ethics, and a commitment to do no harm,” said Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman and CEO of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education who ran the Office for Civil Rights during two administrations. “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. We commend HHS for taking these allegations seriously and investigating whether federal law has been violated.”
The APA said it unequivocally condemns antisemitism, is cooperating with the investigations, and is taking steps to improve reporting procedures and address members’ concerns.
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