Ibrahim Bharmal, a Harvard University law student facing misdemeanor charges for his role in accosting an Israeli classmate during a “die-in” protest last October, has secured an immigration law clerkship with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. The public defender’s office recently shared a post on LinkedIn highlighting Bharmal’s experience and thanking him for his “commitment to our clients.”
Bharmal and divinity school graduate student Elom Tettey-Tamaklo were each charged with misdemeanor assault and battery and violations of the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act on May 19, stemming from their conduct at the Oct. 18 protest held outside Harvard Business School. Video footage from the incident shows Bharmal and Tettey-Tamaklo surrounding and pushing the Israeli student, making it difficult for him to walk freely as onlookers shouted, “SHAME!”
Despite the pending charges, which could result in up to 100 days in jail for each count, Harvard has not taken any disciplinary action against Bharmal, according to a January legal complaint. Bharmal remains in good standing with the school, pursuing a joint degree program in law and public policy, and still lists his position as an editor for the Harvard Law Review on his LinkedIn profile.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) has criticized Harvard’s handling of the incident, stating in an April letter to university leadership that the delay in justice “specifically allows an antisemitic student to graduate” and “demonstrates the cultural rot of Harvard University’s leadership that has allowed antisemitism to continue.”
Bharmal’s clerkship with the D.C. public defender’s office has raised questions about whether the organization was aware of his ongoing legal proceedings. The office did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.
