New York University (NYU) settled a lawsuit Tuesday with Jewish students over claims that the university did not protect them from antisemitism on campus.
The suit was filed in November accusing the university of violating federal civil rights laws by not enforcing its anti-discrimination policy in incidents targeting Jewish students and allowing “pervasive acts of hatred, discrimination, harassment, and intimidation.” NYU was a hotspot for anti-Israel protests in recent months, with police arresting 133 people in a single night and the lawsuit alleging chants such as “Hitler was right,” and “gas the Jews,” being regularly heard.
Protests exploded on college campuses across the country after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that left over 1,200 people dead, leading to safety concerns following violent outbreaks. Many universities were forced to cancel classes and graduation ceremonies.
“NYU has committed to take groundbreaking measures to address antisemitism, including in the wake of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and ensuing violence in the Middle East,” NYU said in a joint statement announcing the settlement. The students claimed the university had not done enough to condemn Hamas previously. (RELATED: Prestigious Wall Street Law Firm Says It Will Put Applicants Under Microscope Over Anti-Israel Protests)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 25: Posters distributed around the New York University campus of people kidnapped by Hamas on the October 7 raid of Israel are vandalized and covered with pro Palestinian graffiti, October 25, 2023 in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City, New York. Like many college campuses in America, students are deeply divided about their reactions to the war in the Middles East between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
The settlement included an undisclosed monetary agreement, a commitment to equally enforcing and updating anti-discrimination policies and the creation of a new position overseeing the university’s compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, according to the statement.
“NYU, by entering into this historic settlement, is to be commended for taking a leading position among American universities in combating antisemitism on campus. Other universities should promptly follow their lead,” Marc Kasowitz, counsel for the plaintiffs, said in the statement.
Several lawsuits have been filed against other universities regarding antisemitic instances. Jewish students at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) sued over the university allowing the creation of a “Jew Exclusion Zone” during a violent encampment, while a Columbia University student accused the school of not doing enough to keep Jewish students safe amid ongoing protests.
NYU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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