Jewish Students Sue NYU Over Alleged Indifference to On-campus Antisemitism
The lawsuit called for the university to suspend or expel students and terminate faculty involved in “antisemitic abuse” on campus, and accused the administration of ignoring reports of antisemitic incidents.
(Graphic by Krish Dev via Washington Square News)
New York City, NY — by Carmo Moniz
This story was originally published on New York University’s Washington Square News.
Three Jewish students filed a lawsuit against NYU on Tuesday, claiming that the university has been indifferent toward instances of antisemitism on campus and violated federal civil rights laws, as well as its own Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy and conduct policies. NYU has denied the allegations, and said it has taken steps to fight antisemitism on campus.
The students, who are seeking damages from the university, are calling for NYU to be ordered to terminate employees and suspend or expel students “responsible for the antisemitic abuse permeating the school.” In the complaint, the students said they regularly encounter chants such as “Hitler was right” and “gas the Jews,” and also accused President Linda Mills and other administrators of ignoring and dismissing on-campus reports of antisemitism.
“The age-old virus of antisemitism is alive and well at New York University,” the students’ complaint reads. “This case arises from NYU’s egregious civil rights violations that have created a hostile educational environment in which plaintiffs and other Jewish NYU students have been subjected to pervasive acts of hatred, discrimination, harassment and intimidation.”
The lawsuit comes amid heightened tensions on campus following the Israel-Hamas war, which began after an Oct. 7 attack on Israeli towns by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The violent assault killed about 1,200 people, and over 200 were taken hostage into the Gaza Strip. In its response to the attack, the Israeli military has launched airstrikes and a subsequent ground invasion of the region, in which more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Read the rest of the story at Washington Square News.