UW Removes Middle East Center Director After Criticism of US-Israel Policy

The academic corridors of the University of Washington in Seattle are currently buzzing with a tension that extends far beyond the usual stresses of the spring term. When news broke that Aria Fani was removed from his position as the director of the university’s Middle East Center, it didn’t just signal a change in administrative leadership; it sparked a wider conversation about the boundaries of academic freedom and political expression in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. For a city like Seattle, which often prides itself on a culture of progressive discourse and intellectual openness, the removal of a high-profile scholar over his views on international conflict feels like a jarring disruption to the local collegiate equilibrium.

The Administrative Shift at the Jackson School of International Studies

The removal took place on Friday, March 27, 2026, according to reports from The Daily, the student newspaper. The process was swift. Aria Fani recounted receiving a phone call that morning from Daniel Hoffman, the director of the Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS), who informed him of the decision. The official confirmation came via David Rey, the UW associate director of strategic communications, who verified that Fani was no longer leading the Middle East Center. In the interim, Daniel Hoffman has stepped in to cover the administrative responsibilities of the center through the spring and summer months.

While Fani has been stripped of his directorship, he remains an associate professor at the university, holding the Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Professorship in Persian and Iranian Studies. This distinction—the loss of a leadership role while retaining a faculty position—creates a complex dynamic within the Jackson School of International Studies. It suggests a targeted administrative action rather than a total severance of ties, highlighting a specific conflict regarding the responsibilities and perceived limits of a center director versus those of a tenured professor.

The Catalyst: Listservs and Political Expression

The core of the dispute appears to center on the use of the Middle East Center’s listserv, an email distribution system intended for departmental communications. Fani admitted to using this tool to share his personal views on the ongoing conflict in Iran, as well as criticizing the U.S.-Israeli war of choice on Iran and condemning Zionism, which he described as a settler-colonial movement for Jewish hegemony in Palestine. From the university’s perspective, the use of official administrative tools for personal political commentary may have been the tipping point. However, Fani views the situation through a much broader lens, suggesting that his removal is a symptom of a national trend regarding the curtailment of free speech within American academia.

The Intellectual Profile of a Displaced Director

To understand the weight of this removal, one must look at the academic standing of the man involved. Aria Fani is not merely an administrator; he is a highly decorated scholar of modern Persian literature and translation studies. His academic pedigree includes a Ph.D. From the University of California, Berkeley, and his contributions to the field have been recognized on a global scale. His first book, Reading across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism, published by the University of Texas Press in 2024, earned the ACLA’s 2025 René Wellek Prize for the Best Monograph in Comparative Literature. The function explores how Afghans and Iranians constructed their modern identities through the concept of adabiyāt (literature), and its influence has reached as far as India and Iran, where it was published by Shirazeh Press and Sanctum Books.

Beyond his monographs, Fani has made significant strides in literary translation. His co-translation of the modernist poet Bijan Jalali, titled Shape of Extinction, was published by Asemana Books in May 2025 and won the 2025 Lois Roth Persian Translation Prize for modern poetry. Within the UW community, Fani was known for creating a classroom environment defined by reflection and laughter, and he has been instrumental in establishing a lecture series at the Middle East Center to honor the memory of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, whose courage he believes transformed the university community.

The juxtaposition of such high academic achievement with a sudden administrative removal creates a narrative of volatility. For those following employment rights and academic freedom, this case serves as a primary example of how professional standing does not always shield an individual from administrative repercussions when political views clash with institutional preferences.

Navigating Academic and Professional Disputes in Seattle

When a high-profile removal occurs at an institution as influential as the University of Washington, it often sends a ripple effect through the local professional community. Whether you are a faculty member, a graduate student, or a professional in a similar administrative role, the intersection of free speech and employment contracts can be a legal minefield. Given my background in documenting these systemic shifts, if you find yourself navigating a similar crisis of academic freedom or professional censorship in the Seattle area, you cannot rely on general HR advice. You need specialized professional advocacy.

Depending on the nature of the dispute, there are three specific types of local professionals you should seek out to protect your career and your rights:

Academic Employment Attorneys

Not all employment lawyers understand the nuances of tenure, faculty handbooks, or the specific protections afforded by university bylaws. You need a practitioner who specifically handles “higher education law.” Look for attorneys who have a track record of representing faculty in grievance hearings or who are well-versed in the First Amendment protections applicable to public institutions like the University of Washington.

Civil Liberties Legal Clinics

If the dispute is centered on political speech or ideological discrimination, a civil liberties clinic or a non-profit legal organization can provide essential support. When vetting these entities, ensure they have experience with “academic freedom” cases specifically, as the legal standard for speech in a classroom or on a departmental listserv differs from speech in a public square.

Higher Education Ombudsmen

Before escalating to litigation, an ombudsman can provide a confidential, neutral space to explore conflict resolution. When seeking an external ombudsman, look for those who are certified by the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) and who have a history of mediating disputes between faculty and university administration without compromising the whistleblower’s position.

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