By: Fern Sidman

Adelphi University, a private institution in Garden City, N. Y, has placed its campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on disciplinary probation for one year, following a university investigation that concluded the group”s conduct created a hostile environment for Jewish students. As The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reported on Friday, the disciplinary action came after a formal complaint was filed by Israeli-American professor Tuval Foguel, alleging that the student organization”s public statements crossed the line from political expression into targeted harassment.

The decision, which was communicated to Professor Foguel by Adelphi”s community concerns and resolution office, cited specific social media posts by the SJP chapter that, in the university”s assessment, could reasonably cause a Jewish individual to “feel targeted or unsafe.” According to the JNS report, the university concluded that the group”s messaging met the threshold for constituting a hostile environment toward the Jewish community.

The formal complaint originated earlier this year, when Professor Foguel-who teaches mathematics and computer science at Adelphi-provided the administration with examples of SJP”s social media posts. Among them was a statement marking the one-year anniversary of Hamas”s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that read: “One year since Oct. 7. What have we learned about this historic day since it happened? “ Another post declared, “Long live the intifada” – a phrase widely recognized as a call to violent uprising against Israelis-and a third alleged, “Israel is a terror state, and all its supporters are Zionist terrorists.”

As the JNS report noted, the university did not specify which post or posts were determinative in its findings, but the cumulative effect of such language was deemed to be discriminatory and capable of fostering an unsafe climate for Jewish students.

In its letter to Professor Foguel, Adelphi outlined the disciplinary measures now in place. The SJP chapter will remain on probation from August 8, 2025, through August 7, 2026. During this period, the organization will be subject to heightened scrutiny, and any violations could result in suspension or permanent revocation of the group”s official recognition by the university.

The university also mandated that the SJP chapter meet with administrators no later than September 15, 2025, to discuss what Adelphi describes as “appropriate social media use.” As JNS reported, the purpose of these meetings is to set clear expectations regarding the boundaries of permissible expression, particularly when it comes to speech that could be construed as targeting individuals or communities based on ethnicity or religion.

Rory Lancman, director of corporate initiatives and senior counsel at the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, told JNS that the SJP chapter had been under an interim suspension since April, pending the outcome of the investigation. This suspension is now being treated as “time served, “ allowing the group to resume operations under the terms of its probation.

Lancman characterized the decision as a pivotal moment for campus policy enforcement. “You can”t solve a problem without defining it or delineating it, “ he told JNS. “For the university to draw some clear lines in the sand for what kind of expression and conduct is inappropriate and not going to be tolerated enables the Jewish community on campus to demand enforcement and actions against the people who cross that line.”

Professor Foguel welcomed the university”s decision as “an important step in the right direction, “ according to the JNS report, but emphasized that more must be done-both at Adelphi and across higher education-to address antisemitism.

“I hope today”s ruling will also serve as an example to other universities that harassment cannot be tolerated, “ he said. “Differences of opinion are one thing, but when a group crosses the line into harassment of other students due to their ethnicity, it becomes completely unacceptable and a clear violation of the law.”

Foguel”s remarks underscore a broader debate within academic institutions over the limits of free expression when that speech is directed toward specific ethnic or religious groups in ways that may foster fear or hostility.

According to the information provided in the JNS report, Adelphi”s determination that the SJP chapter created a hostile environment is significant in the context of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs and activities. While universities must balance the protection of free speech with the prevention of harassment, the case illustrates how certain forms of political expression-especially when framed in aggressive or dehumanizing terms-can cross into prohibited conduct.

By linking the October 7 Hamas attack to laudatory language and explicitly labeling supporters of Israel as “terrorists, “ the posts in question risked normalizing violence and alienating Jewish students on campus. The university”s disciplinary action, as detailed in the JNS report, reflects an acknowledgment of these risks.

The probation order carries potential implications for student activism nationwide. In recent years, chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine have faced scrutiny and disciplinary action on multiple campuses, often in response to allegations of antisemitism embedded in their rhetoric and activities.

As the JNS report observed, the Adelphi case may serve as a precedent for other institutions wrestling with similar complaints. The structured probation period, mandatory meetings on appropriate conduct, and explicit warning of possible derecognition provide a framework that other universities could adapt when addressing campus organizations accused of fostering hostility toward minority groups.

The Louis D. Brandeis Center, which represented Professor Foguel in the matter, has been active in advocating for Jewish students” civil rights on campus. According to the JNS report, the organization has pressed universities to take stronger stances against antisemitic harassment, particularly in the wake of heightened tensions following the October 7 attacks and Israel”s subsequent military operations in Gaza.

Lancman”s comments to JNS emphasized the importance of clearly articulating behavioral boundaries for student groups. By establishing explicit definitions of unacceptable conduct, he argued, universities empower affected communities to insist on enforcement and create a more respectful campus environment.

Adelphi”s action comes amid a surge in reported antisemitic incidents at universities across the United States. Many Jewish students and faculty have expressed concern that calls for “intifada” or the vilification of Zionism are often accompanied by implicit or explicit hostility toward Jews as a whole.

In this climate, the JNS report noted that administrative responses are being closely watched-not only by affected communities but also by advocacy organizations, lawmakers, and the general public. Universities are under growing pressure to demonstrate that they can safeguard student safety while upholding principles of academic freedom.

With the probationary period set to run through August 2026, Adelphi University”s handling of the SJP chapter will be closely monitored. Whether the disciplinary measures will lead to a sustained improvement in campus climate remains to be seen. For now, the decision represents a formal acknowledgment that certain forms of activism-when couched in inflammatory and demeaning language-are incompatible with the university”s standards for respectful discourse.

As the JNS reported, Professor Foguel hopes the case will resonate beyond Garden City, prompting universities nationwide to take decisive action when campus speech veers into harassment. “Harassment cannot be tolerated, “ he reiterated. “The law is clear, and universities must have the courage to enforce it.”