Antisemitism at Harvard: a harsh legal setback for the university

Harvard University received a major setback after Judge Richard Stearns gave the green light, for the second time in three months, to a lawsuit filed by the organizations Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, which represent Jewish and Israeli students, according to which the academic institution allowed a hostile environment to be created against members of the Jewish community.

The lawsuit has accused the university of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students, as well as selectively enforcing its policies in order to take no action against the harassment they suffered and deliberately ignoring their claims in order to receive Harvard's endorsement. In addition, it has been indicated that the institution hired professors who spread antisemitic propaganda and support violence against Jews.

While the judge does not rule out indifference on Harvard's part, he suggested that there is not enough evidence to prove that there was animosity against Jewish and Israeli students, or that the institution retaliated against those who complained.

Kenneth Marcus, president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center, said in a statement that this decision by the judge represents a major victory for Jewish students at Harvard and throughout the United States.

Kenneth, who in the past served as director of the Trump Administration's Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Education, added that Stearn rejected Harvard's "shameful" and ongoing attempts to manipulate Jewish students, who were discriminated against, threatened and assaulted by other students.

Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education said the judge understood that Harvard failed to address instances of antisemitic harassment and discrimination before and after the October 7 massacre.

Harvard's response

Jason Newton, a Harvard spokesman, said in a statement that the university has taken and will continue to take steps to address instances of antisemitism at the institution to protect Jewish and Israeli students so they can continue to study without being harassed or discriminated against.

The lawsuit was filed days after Claudine Gay resigned as president of the university after she was sharply criticized for failing to adequately address antisemitic incidents at Harvard and for refusing to assert that calling for the genocide of Jews violated the institution's standards during a congressional hearing.

Gay also faced charges of plagiarism in his Ph.D. dissertation.