A Haverford College religion professor who once condemned “Zionist witch hunts” on campus is accused of cyberstalking a Jewish colleague with about 50 threatening, antisemitic messages sent from anonymous online accounts.
Story Snapshot
- Guangtian Ha, a religion professor at Haverford College near Philadelphia, faces one federal count of cyberstalking.
- The indictment, filed September 30, was unsealed Tuesday, October 6, the day he was arrested; the case became public Wednesday, October 7.
- Prosecutors say he used at least four anonymous X accounts to send about 50 messages, and posted the man’s home address and his infant child’s name.
- The colleague’s wife and three children moved out of their home twice, according to reports. No lawyer for Ha was listed in court records.
What He Is Accused Of
Cyberstalking is a federal crime: using the internet or other electronic messages, again and again, to threaten or harass a person so that the person fears for their safety or suffers serious emotional distress. The indictment says Ha targeted a Jewish colleague from about October 2025 to May 2026. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison. No attorney for Ha was listed in online court records, so no response from his side has been made public. A detention hearing, where a judge decides whether he stays in custody, is set for Friday, October 9.
According to reports on the court papers, the messages came from at least four anonymous accounts on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. Ha allegedly used VPNs, tools that hide where a person is connecting from, to cover his tracks. Investigators traced the accounts to him.
What It Did to the Family
Prosecutors say Ha posted the colleague’s home address, the name of his infant child and a photo of the family’s mailbox. One message threatened the man’s son, and others insulted his wife, according to reports. The two men had offices in the same building and lived in the same neighborhood.
The colleague’s wife and their three children temporarily moved out of the home twice, according to reports. The family stopped letting the children play in the front yard or wait outside for the school bus. They also took other safety steps, including blocking their address from public view.
What the Messages Said
According to the reports, one message told the man to leave the country and called Jews “blood-guzzling demons.” Another said Jews should be “placed in special camps.” One post read, “Your family has no future in the US. Give it another 10 years, and you shall see a true holocaust.” Many of the messages invoked Adolf Hitler and the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
The Professor’s Past Words
In a 2024 column he co-wrote for the student newspaper, Ha condemned “Zionist witch hunts,” a phrase aimed at efforts to fight antisemitism on campus. In other posts, he called Israel a “genocidal, settler-colonial project.” Jewish students later sued Haverford, saying Ha had attacked them in online posts. The college settled that lawsuit in August, and the terms were not made public.
Andrew Goretsky, a senior regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in Philadelphia, a group that fights antisemitism, said criticizing Israeli policy is fair game, but targeting Jews because of Israel is antisemitism.
How the College Responded
Haverford President Wendy Raymond told students and staff she was “heartbroken and furious.” She called the posts “heinous online attacks, which were antisemitic in nature,” and said harassment based on identity “has no place at Haverford.” Ha was already on sabbatical, a break from teaching, and was not teaching classes this year. The college has placed him on administrative leave and barred him from campus while the criminal case goes on. Raymond thanked the FBI, Campus Safety and Haverford Township Police for their work.
What Comes Next
Ha is accused, not convicted, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The case now moves through federal court in Philadelphia, starting with the detention hearing. For Jewish families on campuses across the country, the case is a reminder to report online threats early and save every message. For the family at the center of it, the hope is simple: a safe home and a front yard where their children can play again.
Sources:
inquirer.com, abcnews.com, usatoday.com, cbsnews.com, patch.com, timesofisrael.com