Haverford professor indicted for antisemitic cyberstalking campaign
Guangtian Ha, an associate professor of religion at Haverford College, was arrested on Oct. 6 and faces a federal cyberstalking charge. The indictment alleges he conducted a months-long online intimidation campaign against a Jewish colleague and his family using anonymous accounts on X. Prosecutors state the alleged harassment ran from Oct. 9, 2025, through May 20, 2026. The campaign included threatening messages, antisemitic language, and images of the victim's home mailbox.
Guangtian Ha, an associate professor of religion at Haverford College, was arrested on Oct. 6 and faces a federal cyberstalking charge. The indictment alleges he conducted a months-long online intimidation campaign against a Jewish colleague and his family using anonymous accounts on X. Prosecutors state the alleged harassment ran from Oct. 9, 2025, through May 20, 2026. The campaign included threatening messages, antisemitic language, and images of the victim's home mailbox.
The indictment details that Ha used the X account "America1st33509" to reply to the victim's posts with an image of the victim's mailbox and an eyes emoji. In winter 2026, specifically between January and February, Ha allegedly switched to the handle "America1stLM" to send harassing messages. The username likely references Lower Merion Township, a Jewish area in Pennsylvania near Haverford College. Messages under this handle included slurs and threats, such as demands for the victim to leave the area and references to special camps.
The victim and his family enacted security precautions in response to the initial threats. However, the alleged harassment continued. On Feb. 27, 2026, Ha posted a message mocking the security measures, stating that blurring the home on Google Maps and installing cameras would not help. In April 2026, using the handle "Im_GoyimDL", Ha allegedly demanded the victim leave Lower Merion Township. Minutes later, he posted a threat referencing the victim's minor son by name. Additional messages in April and May included the victim's home address, a pro-Nazi sign-off, and a threat invoking the Holocaust.
Federal authorities traced the messages back to Ha despite his use of virtual private networks to obscure his internet protocol address. The FBI became involved in the case due to the severity of the threats. Following a hearing, Ha was ordered detained in federal custody pending trial, according to an Oct. 13 announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Lori Lowenthal Marcus, legal director of The Deborah Project, told Fox News Digital that the messages reveal a harsh truth about anti-Zionism on campus. She stated that while political speech is protected, harassment and threats cross a legal line. The Deborah Project previously filed a Title VI civil rights lawsuit against Haverford on behalf of Jewish students, citing several of Ha's public posts in a 2024 suit.
Haverford College President Wendy Raymond released a statement on the day of Ha's arrest. She described herself as deeply distressed by the allegations and stated that any form of harassment or discrimination is unacceptable at Haverford. Raymond confirmed that Ha has been placed on administrative leave and barred from campus while the criminal process moves forward. She also noted that a college representative has contacted the alleged victims. Haverford College declined to provide further comment on the situation.