ASU scholar put on leave after video of him confronting woman wearing hijab goes viral

An Arizona State University scholar is on leave after a video of him screaming profanities into the face of a woman wearing a hijab went viral.

Jonathan Yudelman, a postdoctoral research scholar at the university, was put on leave the school said in a statement sent to USA TODAY.

"ASU is aware of the allegations against Jonathan Yudelman and is investigating them," said a university spokesperson. Yudelman will remain on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

USA TODAY asked if the leave was paid or unpaid and has yet to hear back from the university.

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Warning: Video contains explicit language

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At the start of the video, Yudelman is seen moving towards a woman wearing a hijab. She is backing up and trying to get away from him as he follows here on a sidewalk.

"You're literally-" the woman said before Yudelman started mimicking her.

"I'm literally in your face, that's right," said Yudelman.

The video was recorded outside of the ASU campus on Sunday during a pro-Israel rally, reports NBC News.

Another man seen with Yudelman at the start of the video is heard speaking over the two.

"If you don't like it, go back to Jihad," he said to the woman.

USA TODAY asked the spokesperson if the man had any ties to ASU, but has not received a response yet. The man is still unidentified.

Yudelman and the other man then back the woman into a tree that is next to the street.

"You're disrespecting my religious boundaries," said the woman.

"You disrespect my sense of humanity, [expletive,]" replied Yudelman as he moved closer to the woman, who had her back to the street now.

The men stopped following the woman when another person could be heard screaming at them to leave her alone. A woman begins to scream "Hate crime!" and the woman who was being followed grabs a bike that was thrown on the sidewalk.

The men return and begin asking the person recording about their opinion on the Hamas attack that occurred on October 7, 2023.

It is unknown what happened before the recording started, but at the end of the video, the woman in the hijab can be heard saying that they were "literally just standing here."

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz