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Professor Eman Abdelhadi allegedly spit on police during anti-ICE protest in October
A University of Chicago professor who allegedly spit on several police officers during an anti-ICE protest last fall has entered “not guilty” pleas to two felony aggravated battery charges, according to court documents obtained by The College Fix.
Already a matter of news interest, Professor Eman Abdelhadi’s case recently received heightened attention after it came to light that she is the half-sister of Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan. Both she and her brother are known for their progressive political views and have been active in pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests.
Abdelhadi is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 14. Her case has been continued several times since March, including a hearing scheduled for Friday, records from the Circuit Court of Cook County show.
Along with the “not guilty” pleas, Abdelhadi also requested a new judge to hear her case.
According to a petition to the court filed last November, Fourth District Judge John Wilson is allegedly “prejudiced against the defendant” and she “fears” she won’t receive a “fair and impartial trial.”
Neither Abdelhadi nor her attorneys responded to several requests for comment since last week asking why they believe the judge is “prejudiced” and whether the petition had been granted.
In October, Abdelhadi was arrested and charged with two counts of felony aggravated battery and two misdemeanors, allegedly for resisting a peace officer and for obstructing justice, according to court records.
Illinois State Police reports from the Oct. 3 protest, obtained by The Fix, reveal more. Abdelhadi was arrested after “spitting multiple times at multiple” officers, the reports allege.
The protest took place in the morning near an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois. Police reports describe the protest escalating when a “large, organized, and increasingly unruly crowd” began blocking traffic and moving onto “privately owned property.”
Despite police giving “multiple loud and clear commands instructing protesters to move,” some – including Abdelhadi – locked arms and refused, according to the police reports.
“No, I don’t have to f—ing listen to you,” she yelled before spitting at the first officer, police alleged.
One police officer described Abdelhadi looking straight at him before spitting “directly” at his head; she then spat “multiple times” at other police officers nearby, police reports alleged.
After being told she was under arrest, police said Abdelhadi was uncooperative and resisted an attempt to handcuff her.
A few days after her arrest, Abdelhadi wrote about the protest on her BlueSky account. She appeared to suggest that law enforcement officers were the ones to blame for violence at the protest.
Abdelhadi wrote on Oct. 6 that “ICE rushed at unarmed protesters standing on a patch of grass.”
She also reposted a video of herself yelling “Shame!” at police officers while wearing a “Free Palestine” T-shirt.
Teaching at the university
This fall, Abdelhadi appears to be teaching one class, “Trial Research in Human Development II,” according to the university’s online class search.
The university media relations office did not respond to an email or phone message asking about its response to the charges against Abdelhadi and her class schedule for the fall.
A few months prior to the protest, the University of Chicago launched an investigation into Abdelhadi after she made disparaging remarks against the university at the Socialism 2025 Conference.
According to The Chicago Maroon, during a panel discussion regarding “revolutionary accompaniment,” Abdelhadi described her employer as “evil,” a “colonial landlord,” and a “police force.”
Neither she nor the media relations office responded when The Fix asked if the investigation is on-going and, if not, what the outcome was.
Abdelhadi describes herself as a “queer Muslim activist” and has said she wants to abolish the police, according to the Washington Free Beacon. Abdelhadi is a professor in the University of Chicago’s Department of Comparative Human Development.
MORE: U. Chicago professor faces charges for alleged battery of police officer outside ICE center
