Federal Judge Loren AliKhan Recuses Herself From Antisemitism Suit Against George Washington University

On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, The Washington Free Beacon reported that Judge Loren AliKhan, a Biden appointee and a federal judge who also lectures at George Washington University’s (GW) law school, recused herself from an antisemitism case against the university after initially arguing there was no conflict of interest. AliKhan’s recusal came after she had already taught a course at the university for three months while presiding over the case.

Legal experts criticized AliKhan, stating she displayed a “shocking ignorance” of basic ethical concepts by not immediately withdrawing from the case. According to The Free Beacon, these experts believed she should have recused herself as soon as GW Law hired her.

AliKhan stated during an April 20, 2026 conference that she didn’t realize her employment at GW Law “could create the appearance of a lack of impartiality” until she began examining the merits of a pending motion. She consulted with the federal court system’s lead ethics attorney, who, according to AliKhan, suggested recusal was unlikely to be warranted because George Washington is a “large university” and the lawsuit did not explicitly target the law school. AliKhan then determined there was no “objective basis on which my impartiality could be questioned.”

AliKhan indicated she would only step down if a party requested it. Jason Torchinsky, an attorney for the plaintiffs, publicly stated AliKhan needed to recuse herself. A motion calling for her withdrawal was filed on April 22, 2026, and U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden was assigned to the case.

Keith Fisher, an associate professor at St. Thomas University College of Law, told The Free Beacon that AliKhan displayed “shocking ignorance about several rather basic legal and ethical concepts.” He argued that her failure to immediately recuse or disclose her GW Law employment established a “violation of judicial ethics.”

Seth Oranburg, a law professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law, also criticized AliKhan’s handling of the situation.

The lawsuit alleges that GW violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by allowing a “hostile educational environment” to exist. It details incidents against Jewish students, including physical assaults, vandalism, and verbal harassment, with university administrators allegedly turning a blind eye.

Sabrina Soffer, one of the plaintiffs, stated AliKhan’s recusal would “ensure the integrity of the proceedings and remove any appearance of bias or conflict.” Torchinsky told The Free Beacon he was thankful the case could continue.

AliKhan began presiding over the lawsuit in May 2025 and started teaching at GW Law in early January 2026. She issued a 10-day stay on March 30 to assess whether she had a conflict. She explained the delay by stating that she and her clerks review every case for potential conflicts and periodically review their cases, but sometimes questions arise when they delve into the details of a pending motion.