Harvard University failed to convince a judge in the U.S. to dismiss a lawsuit in which Jewish students accuse the American college of allowing its premises to become a stronghold of antisemitism.
Without ruling on the merits, Judge Richard Stearns stated that the plaintiffs reasonably argued that Harvard’s response to incidents on campus was inadequate and that “the facts, as stated, show that Harvard exhibited negligence towards its Jewish students.”
The judge also mentioned that he “doubts” Harvard could hide behind the argument that some of the disputed activities on campus were protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Students filed the lawsuit in January, accusing Harvard of selectively enforcing its anti-discrimination policies to avoid protecting Jewish students from harassment incidents, ignoring their pleas for protection, and hiring professors who supported violence against Jews and spread antisemitic propaganda.
Stearns found the claims sufficient to suggest that Harvard acted with deliberate indifference towards the Jewish population.
The lawsuit seeks a court order to stop the alleged violations by Harvard of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funds from allowing discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin.
It was filed eight days after former Harvard president Claudine Gay resigned, having come under criticism for her handling of antisemitism following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza in response.
Source: ANA-MPA