Lawsuit Alleges NYU’s Complete Failure to Address Skyrocketing Anti-Semitism on Campus

Edited by: Fern Sidman

New York University (NYU) is facing legal action as three Jewish students file a lawsuit, claiming that the prestigious institution has inadequately addressed a significant rise in antisemitic incidents on campus following the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7^th, as was reported by the New York Post. The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, highlights a decade-long pattern of anti-Semitism that escalated amid the conflict in the Middle East,  the Post report said.

According to the lawsuit, NYU has grappled with numerous instances of anti-Semitism over the past ten years, with a sharp increase observed after the Hamas attack on Israel that left 1400 Israelis and others dead. The Post report indicated that Jewish students on campus reportedly face harassment, intimidation, and the use of hateful phrases, including chants of “Hitler was right” and “gas the Jews.” The suit also alleges that some students and faculty have openly endorsed Hamas’ terrorist actions against Israel.

One of the central claims in the lawsuit is that when Jewish students sought assistance from university administrators, their complaints were either ignored, slow-walked, or met with gaslighting, according to the Post. This lack of responsiveness has left Jewish students feeling “under siege,” and the suit contends that they are treated as “second-class citizens” at NYU due to their Jewish identity and ancestry, as was indicated in the Post report.

The lawsuit states that NYU’s failure to address the surge in anti-Semitism has left the affected students “traumatized.” It goes on to assert that the university’s inaction and, in some cases, complicity have contributed to the normalization of anti-Semitism within the NYU community, the Post report noted.  The suit contends that while pro-Hamas individuals are allowed to engage in hateful speech, Jewish students are instructed to remain silent and avoid making waves.

The three students behind the lawsuit are seeking legal intervention to compel NYU to implement measures to effectively combat virulent anti-Semitism on the campus located in New York City’s Greenwich Village area, the report in the Post said. This includes taking disciplinary action against students and staff involved in anti-Semitic actions. The legal action underscores the broader challenge universities face in fostering inclusive and safe environments, particularly during periods of heightened geopolitical tensions.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, expressed strong condemnation of NYU’s response to the anti-Semitic incidents. The Post reported that in a statement, Kasowitz stated, “NYU’s deliberate indifference toward the plight of its Jewish students under siege by egregious anti-Semitism has been outrageous.” The lawsuit seeks to compel NYU to comply with the Civil Rights Act, the university’s own policies, and “elementary human decency” that, according to Kasowitz, the university has failed to uphold, as was reported in the Post.

“We are asking the Court to compel NYU to comply with the Civil Rights Act, its own purported policies, and elementary human decency, which to date the University has failed and refused to do on its own,” Kasowitz added, as the Post reported.

“The effect of NYU’s inaction and, indeed, complicity in the torrent of anti-Jewish hatred that has engulfed its campus has been the normalization of anti-Semitism in the NYU community,” part of the lawsuit states, as was reported by the Post.

The lawsuit also stated that “Whereas pro-Hamas faculty and students are permitted to engage in vicious anti-Semitic hate speech, Jewish students are told to keep quiet, maintain a low profile, avoid making waves, and call a wellness hotline.”

In response to the lawsuit, NYU’s spokesperson, John Beckman, challenged what he referred to as a “one-sided narrative.” The Post said that Beckman emphasized that the assertions in the suit do not accurately depict the conditions on campus or the university’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism. He highlighted NYU’s condemnation of the Oct. 7 attack and its substantial academic presence in Israel, including a campus in Tel Aviv, the Post report added. Beckman stated, “Anti-Semitism violates our rules; we take the issues of anti-Semitism and any other forms of hate extremely seriously.”

Beckman reiterated NYU’s commitment to safeguarding the community and providing a secure environment for all students. As was mentioned in the Post report, he emphasized that NYU was one of the first U.S. universities to condemn the Oct. 7 attack and expressed the university’s eagerness to challenge the lawsuit’s narrative, setting the record straight regarding its efforts to combat anti-Semitism.

“Anti-Semitism violates our rules; we take the issues of anti-Semitism and any other forms of hate extremely seriously, and we are committed to safeguarding our community and providing an environment in which all students can live and learn in peace,” Beckman’s statement added.

As the legal battle unfolds, the contrasting narratives presented by the plaintiffs and NYU highlight the complexities surrounding allegations of anti-Semitism on university campuses. The case raises questions about the responsibility of educational institutions to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and the extent to which universities must take action to address and prevent instances of hate speech and discrimination.