SAIC Places Art Therapy Chair on Leave Over Palestine Case Study

Savneet Talwar, who leads the graduate art therapy program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), has been placed on leave following her assignment of a case study regarding a fictional client impacted by violence against Palestinian civilians. On April 17, SAIC's administration notified Talwar of an investigation into claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The case study, assigned to six students in her "Cultural Dimensions in Art Therapy" class, focused on a 27-year-old queer Arab woman sympathetic to pro-Palestinian protests and concerned about potential retaliation during the Trump administration. On April 21, SAIC Provost Martin Berger, in his role since 2019, informed Talwar of her leave due to perceived immediate threats. The investigation was initiated by a complaint from an unnamed student. Talwar's attorney, Rima Kapitan, stated that specific allegations have not been disclosed. On June 9, Talwar lodged a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, claiming discrimination due to her connections with Arabs and Palestinians. She has denied all accusations and argued that the assignment was educationally significant, connecting her situation to broader issues regarding social justice discourse in higher education. Although she is set to teach a summer course, her ability to do so remains uncertain.