Four of five top Indiana ACLU attorneys submit resignations amid antisemitism allegations against incoming director Nikkita Oliver

Most politically savvy Seattleites know the name Nikkita Oliver, and they associate her with failed radicalism, from multiple failed runs for office to Black Lives Matter protests and a failed stint at an activist organization in Detroit. Oliver now finds herself at the center of an internal fight at the ACLU in her home state of Indiana, where multiple lawyers of the left-wing organization have resigned, alleging that she questioned whether Jewish attorneys were unbiased enough to represent Palestinian clients.

Four of the Indiana ACLU’s five principal attorneys have submitted resignations amid a staff revolt involving antisemitism allegations against incoming executive director Nikkita Oliver. The organization’s board is standing by the former Seattle activist, despite her blaming Israel for Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. Oliver’s appointment has plunged the affiliate for the left-wing activist group into turmoil before the repeatedly postponed leadership transition is complete.

According to JNS, former philanthropy director Neil Hudelson complained that Oliver suggested she didn’t trust Jewish legal leadership. Hudelson described the exchange as insinuating that the affiliate’s Jewish legal director could not evaluate Palestinian applicants impartially. Oliver denied suggesting bias and said the discussion concerned a case the organization had declined. IndyStar reported that longtime employees filed two human resources complaints about Oliver. The complaints included the alleged questioning of Jewish attorneys, criticism that the affiliate was “too pure” about civil liberties, and concerns about partisan political objectives.

Oliver has a long documented past of Jew hatred. She has repeatedly called for boycotts against Israel. On Oct. 18, 2023, just 11 days after Hamas killed over 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 others, she wrote a tirade on social media stating that “if we want the violence to stop, we must stop the root cause. This means ending the occupation of Palestine by Zionist Israel, supporting Palestinian liberation and ending the apartheid state.”

In the same post, Oliver advocated for violent resistance by invoking the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., claiming he “began to see the limits of non-violent protest in the face of an immoral and violent oppressor, who does not see and does not want to see those they brutalize, oppress and occupy as human,” despite Dr. King being a known supporter of Jews and the Jewish state.

In November of that year, Oliver wrote, “being pro-Palestinian liberation is not a phase or a fad. It’s not the cute progressive thing to do,” adding, “It is a commitment to the liberation of all oppressed peoples and stopping the genocide of Palestinians being funded by our U.S. tax dollars that matters right now.”

Oliver accused Israel of “perpetuating the same classist, racist, sexist, ableist system that brutalizes black, indigenous, brown peoples and workers in the United States and globally.”

The outlet reported that staff members objected to language they interpreted as supporting violent protest and sweeping references to Zionism.

The departing attorneys are legal director Ken Falk, deputy legal director Gavin Rose, senior staff attorney Stevie Pactor, and staff attorney Josh Bleisch. The departing attorneys collectively represent approximately 50 years of experience at the organization.

Pactor alleged Oliver wanted to make Indiana “light red,” raising concerns about the affiliate’s nonpartisan status. Hudelson separately alleged that Oliver suggested conservative clients could seek representation elsewhere.

Oliver’s anti-Israel activism was also visible while she was a radical activist in Seattle. In 2021, Oliver appeared at a rally in Westlake Park alongside socialist Councilmember Kshama Sawant and Democratic state Rep. Kirsten Harris-Talley behind a banner depicting the elimination of Israel. Jewish counterprotesters were assaulted at the event. In 2024, she was part of the lineup at a music festival benefiting groups with ties to terror, during which rapper Macklemore said "F*ck America."

Oliver was also a leader of King County Equity Now (KCEN), which promoted demands that Central District businesses “Pay the Fee.” Oliver’s group targeted Ian Eisenberg, the Jewish owner of Uncle Ike’s cannabis shops. Eisenberg described activists obtaining city money and property while his stores endured vandalism. He said he had repeatedly been told that contributing to the Black Book Club would make his problems disappear. “In other cities it is just called extortion,” he said.

Oliver frequently spoke inside Seattle's deadly Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, advocating defunding police during the armed occupation of six city blocks in 2020. Two black teenagers were killed during the occupation, and four other people were wounded.

In December 2020, $3 million of those funds were allocated to a contract benefiting KCEN and advanced through socialist Councilmember Tammy Morales’ office. KCEN had lobbied to redirect police spending into community programs. It was later revealed that the arrangement bypassed competitive bidding and drew scrutiny over transparency and financial controls because KCEN lacked the nonprofit status needed. The social justice coalition subsequently fractured as groups split from KCEN amid complaints about leadership accountability and stewardship.

Oliver dismisses the Indiana complaints as misrepresentations by employees with limited direct interaction with the incoming director. The board describes conflicting staff accounts and has retained an outside human resources firm to investigate.