This week, a discrimination lawsuit was filed against University of California, alleging officials had allowed pupils to establish” Jew exclusion” areas and take control of the school.
The complaint is the second one-month long lawsuit brought against UCLA alleging prevalent antisemitism. It is one of many legal actions universities across the country face in the wake of pro-Palestinian campus protests that were violent and occasionally aggressive.
In recent months, in response to the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israeli members on October 7 and the rise of hatred lawsuits against several colleges and universities, which include in part immoral camps, verbal attack, and hostile coups of their schools. Harvard, Northwestern, Rutgers, UNLV and UC Davis are all grappling with like matches, among others.
Columbia University, which made headlines in May when pro-Hamas activists seized control of a school building, was also involved, but this week settled with a Jewish scholar who had filed the complaint, agreeing to the development of a” Safe Passage Liaison” who will have the power to start option entrances and exits to students with existing 24- hour security escorts, according to the Washington Post.
Some of the complaints have a class-action claim in mind.
A Northwestern University scholar filed a class action lawsuit on May 20, 2024, alleging that the school’s failure to respond to racist behavior created a hostile on-campus environment that traumatized its Jewish student body.
According to its site, FeganScott “is a global class action rules firm”.
In a statement to The College Fix, FeganScott’s attorney Jonathan Lindenfeld stated that” for decades, Northwestern and its management chose to turn a blind eye to rising hatred in hopes it had n’t approach problems rates, and it totally consumed the campus.”
Through our lawsuit, we intend to set a precedent by putting forth the message that universities must take decisive action to protect the safety and well-being of all students, including those who may be attracted to antisemitism, in order to protect students.
The College Fix contacted Northwestern with requests for comment.
At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Jewish student Corey Gerwaski “is suing the university and several student groups that support Palestine, alleging he experienced antisemitism on campus…that led to pain and suffering”, KSNV News 3 reported.
” Antisemitism in colleges becomes U. S. government policy post- university”, Sigal Chattah, one of Gerwaski’s attorneys, told The College Fix via email.
The UNLV case is not only about antisemitism, Chattah said. It also concerns the threat of U.S. foreign policy and the anti-American policies that we are seeing right now.
How did we get to where we are today, Chattah said,” The failure of academia to address these progressive narratives over the course of decades.
Tony Allen, a spokesman for UNLV, told The Fix that the university “does not comment on active litigation”.
At UC Davis, Jewish resident Jonathan Groveman is suing the school over civil rights violations, CBS News reports.
A Jewish, pro-Israel community member who claims his civil rights were violated on campus when attempting to counter-protest an ongoing pro-Palestinian encampment is suing UC Davis for the same reasons.
Groveman alleges” the encampment is discriminatory in nature” against both those with disabilities by surrounding a sidewalk–thus violating ADA requirements –and the Jewish community.
When reached for comment, UC Davis news and media relations director James Nash stated to The College Fix: “UC Davis is committed to maintaining our educational and research mission without disruption while maintaining our community’s right to free expression.”
Additionally,” when the university receives a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability, hostile environment, or other offensive behavior, it immediately reaches out to the affected parties to provide support and resources, and reviews the allegations under the university’s anti- discrimination policy”.
At UCLA, in addition to the lawsuit filed this week over the” Jew exclusion” zones, UCLA student Liana Nitka sued her school in May in a proposed class- action lawsuit alleging” civil rights violations, negligence, assault … and breach of contract”, NBC Los Angeles reports.
Reached for comment, UCLA spokesman Eddie North- Hager told The College Fix:” We are aware of the filed complaint. The entire Bruin community is still expected to be safe and well-off, according to UCL.
Because this filing involves ongoing litigation, UCLA stated it is unable to comment further.
Rutgers also made no comment on the antisemitism lawsuit it is facing with The College Fix.
One of the most prestigious institutions in the nation, Harvard, also joined the ranks of schools facing lawsuits.
In a lawsuit filed last week, the Harvard Crimson reported that the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education accused Harvard of “liberally” ignoring antisemitism on campus and creating” an intolerable educational environment” for Jewish students.
The Brandeis Center and Harvard did not respond to The Fix’s emailed comments for comment.
Tammi Rossman- Benjamin of the AMCHA Initiative told The Fix that “whether as students, alumni, faculty, parents, donors, taxpayers, or concerned citizens, virtually everyone is a stakeholder in higher education”.
The AMCHA Initiative is “is a non- profit organization dedicated to investigating, documenting, educating about, and combating antisemitism at institutions of higher education in America”, according to its website.
Rossman-Bennett urges everyone to “use whatever clout and means they have – be it legal, financial, legislative, or grassroots advocacy” to hold university leaders accountable for stopping the virulent antisemitism that is spiraling out of control on their campuses.
This will only occur when schools implement and enforce laws that ensure that all students, including Jews, are treated equally and adequately against behavior that no student should have to endure,” according to Rossman-Benedict.
MORE: USC Jewish center vandalized, glass door smashed
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