Sara Matthiesen

Sara Matthiesen is an Assistant Professor of History and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at George Washington University (GWU). She is a member of the American Historical Association’s Directory of History Departments and Organizations. Matthiesen has used her faculty role to promote anti-Israel activism on campus, defend student encampments, and co-found the GWU chapter of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP).

Founding FSJP at GWU
In October 2024, Matthiesen co-authored an op-ed with other GWU faculty announcing the formation of a campus chapter of FSJP. The article voiced strong support for pro-Palestinian student activism and condemned the university’s disciplinary actions against protesters. It called for GWU to drop all disciplinary charges, disclose financial ties, and divest from Israel, framing both the U.S. and its universities as complicit in what they described as genocide.

Support for Student Protests and Encampments
In April 2024, Matthiesen signed an open letter from faculty and staff across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. The letter defended student encampments and protests, criticized university crackdowns, and accused administrators of misusing allegations of bigotry to silence dissent connected to the war in Gaza.

Conclusion
By co-founding FSJP at GWU and publicly supporting student encampments, Sara Matthiesen has become a faculty voice legitimizing activism that has fueled antisemitic hostility on campus. Her actions illustrate how university faculty can reinforce movements that target Jewish students and normalize extreme rhetoric under the banner of academic freedom.