NYU Slammed with Massive Antisemitism Lawsuit
Three Jewish students, represented by New York City litigation powerhouse Kasowitz Benson Torres, sue NYU in federal court for allegedly allowing and even fostering egregious acts of antisemitism
It is no secret that New York University has been a hotbed of antisemitic activity for quite some time, as we have reported.
For example, just since the Hamas terrorist butchery on October 7, we have reported on several antisemitic incidents on campus:
- Law Firm Rescinds Job Offer to NYU Law Student After She Claims Support for Hamas
- VIDEO: NYU Students Tear Down Posters of Israelis Kidnapped by Hamas
- NYU Law Students Say Their Classmate Losing Job Offer Over Support for Hamas is ‘Violence’
- NYU Students Stage Pro-Hamas Walkout With Signs Advocating the Genocide of Jews
But even before that, antisemitism and other forms of anti-white racism and other despicable conduct were alive and well at NYU, as we reported:
- NYU Gets $40,000 From HHS to Study Why Children ‘Favor Whiteness and Maleness’
- NYU Course Using Taylor Swift Music to Teach Students About ‘Whiteness’ and ‘American Nationalism
- NYU Prof: Black and Latino Trump Supporters at Capitol are a Product of ‘Multiracial Whiteness’
- Will NYU discipline anti-Israel Dorm Stormers?
- ALERT – NYU Grad Student Union [anti-Israel] BDS Vote Mid-April
- At NYU it’s hard to tell American Studies from outright anti-Israel organizing
Other media sources reported the same. From The Algemeiner:
- 50 New York University Groups Pledge to Boycott Zionist Student Clubs, All Israeli Goods
- Anti-Zionist NYU Students Arrested at Israel Independence Day Party, Charged With Reckless Endangerment, Assault
And the Jerusalem Post recently reported that Antony Blinken’s cousin withdraws from NYU ‘because of antisemitism’.
In fact, antisemitism was so rampant at NYU that a Jewish student named Adela Cojab sued NYU in 2019 after numerous antisemitic events occurred on campus. NYU largely ignored her complaints about the events and even gave the Students for Justice in Palestine its President’s Service Award, the highest award NYU gives to student groups on campus.
President Trump even gave Adela the floor at the 2019 annual Israeli-American Council to tell her story:
Remarkably, as we reported:
Only a few days after Adela’s speech, the president signed a landmark executive order including Jewish students as a protected class under Title IV. Crucially, the EO also defined anti-Semitism according to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) classification, which includes bigoted anti-Israel behaviors common to groups involved in campaigns to boycott or demonize Israel.
And the case was settled. Details of the settlement were reported as follows:
Under the settlement, NYU will revise its discrimination and harassment policies to include anti-Semitism, issue a public statement from NYU President Hamilton that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated, conduct town hall meetings on anti-Semitism, work with NYU student groups to combat anti-Semitism and conduct training with students, faculty and university leadership on how to recognize contemporary anti-Semitism. Beginning now NYU will use the IHRA definition to recognize and identify anti-Semitism.
The types of anti-Semitic behaviors cited in Cojab’s complaint, that will now not be tolerated, include harassment, assaults, battery and vandalism. Cojab’s complaint documented numerous incidents including many that occurred at a pro-Israel celebration at Washington Square Park where a microphone was grabbed out of a speaker’s hands and Jewish students were assaulted. Two students were arrested for committing these acts.
As we summarized:
Hopefully, Adela’s settlement will lead to university administrators’ increased awareness and concern about anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism on college campuses; at the very least, it should serve as a signal to institutions of higher education that they can no longer condemn some bigotries while brushing others under the proverbial rug.
So, did NYU’s administrators show “increased awareness and concern about anti-Semitism”?
Apparently not.
Three Jewish NYU students have now sued NYU in federal court in Manhattan for allegedly gross antisemitism. From the Complaint’s “Preliminary Statement“:
The age-old virus of antisemitism is alive and well at New York University. This case arises from NYU’s egregious civil rights violations that have created a hostile educational environment in which plaintiffs and other Jewish NYU students have been subjected to pervasive acts of hatred, discrimination, harassment, and intimidation. For years, NYU—acutely aware of ongoing and disgraceful acts of anti-Jewish bigotry—has reacted with, at best, deliberate indifference, refusing to enforce its own anti-discrimination and conduct policies that it readily applies to protect other targets of bigotry, and instead fostering an environment in which students and faculty members are permitted to repeatedly abuse, malign, vilify, and threaten Jewish students with impunity. Regularly confronted with such genocidal chants as, “Hitler was right,” “gas the Jews,” “death to kikes,” and “from the river to the sea,” and other abuse, plaintiffs not only have been deprived of the ability and opportunity to fully and meaningfully participate in NYU’s educational and other programs, but they have suffered and have been put at severe risk of extreme emotional and physical injury.
[emphasis added]
Bloomberg reports: NYU Sued by Students Over ‘Egregious’ Antisemitism on Campus
Three Jewish students at New York University sued the school on Tuesday, claiming it failed to protect them from “egregious” antisemitism that has worsened since the Israel-Hamas war began.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims the university must take action under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on race, color or national origin.
“Mobs of students, often accompanied and encouraged by professors, have been given carte blanche to harass and intimidate NYU’s Jewish population,” according to the complaint. “As a result of NYU’s actions and inactions, antisemitism at NYU now thrives like never before.”
An NYU spokesperson said the university looks forward to setting the record straight and prevailing in court.
“The assertions in this suit do not accurately describe conditions on our campus or the many steps NYU has been taking to fight antisemitism and keep the campus safe,” spokesperson John Beckman said in an emailed statement.
The explosion of antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses has led to renewed interest in whether students can use Title VI to force universities to do more to protect them. President Joe Biden’s administration has vowed to use the law in the face of campus threats and violence….
Since Oct. 7, many students and faculty have “openly and enthusiastically” endorsed Hamas, the complaint says….
The lawsuit was filed on the same day that thousands of people gathered on Washington’s National Mall to express support for Israel in the one of the largest such demonstrations since the war began. Organizers said the event drew more than 200,000 people, but there was no official confirmation of that estimate.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8 requires only “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Still, the Complaint is massive, spanning 83 pages and 281 paragraphs of precise allegations and claiming relief under six different causes of action, including Title VI, the federal statute prohibiting discrimination by entities receiving federal funding, New York State law, and common law breach of contract.
You can review the Complaint here.
Please read the entire Complaint, but I highlight one of the many shocking allegations in the Complaint:
NYU has not “addressed and ameliorated” campus antisemitism, as the university committed to do three years ago. In fact, shockingly, NYU has done the opposite—it has deliberately sought to burnish its antisemitic credentials and make the campus environment even more hostile and frightening for Jewish students. For example, on October 9, just two days after the horrific terrorist attack in Israel, NYU announced the appointment of Eve Tuck to establish a so-called “Center for Indigenous Studies” at NYU. Professor Tuck, who has a long history of anti-Israel statements, wasted no time praising the murder of Jews. Four days after the Hamas massacre, she called the “Palestinian resistance” “life and future affirming,” and two weeks later, signed a viciously antisemitic open letter defaming Israel. NYU did not censure or terminate Professor Tuck—as it has done for far less egregious conduct where antisemitism was not involved—but remained silent for a month, when it belatedly issued a statement on her behalf purporting to condemn Hamas’s terrorism—which, given her previous statements, could not have been more disingenuous.
[emphasis added]
Importantly, the three Plaintiffs are represented by New York City heavy hitter litigation law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres, whose tagline is: “Creative. Aggressive. Relentless,” and named partners Marc Kasowitz and Daniel Benson, among others, are representing the Plaintiffs. I highly recommend watching Kasowitz’s firm video available here.
Kasowitz was one of the law firms joining a recent letter sent to law school deans admonishing them about antisemitism. From Reuters: Major US law firms call on law schools to condemn ‘antisemitism, Islamophobia’
More than two dozen major U.S. law firms sent a letter on Wednesday to the deans of the nation’s top-ranked law schools expressing concern over a wave of antisemitism and intimidation on university campuses amid the latest fighting between Israel and Hamas.
The 27 firms urged 14 of the top-ranked law schools in the U.S. to take a “unequivocal stance” against discrimination and harassment and said they “look forward” to learning from law schools how they are addressing the situation on their own campuses.
A solid 164 top law firms in the USA and growing daily, support the letter to law school deans. Stamp out anti semitism and do so by not supporting those people, institutions and governments who do. Quite simple, really. You wanna support mass homicide, rapes and organized… https://t.co/G6cvjPX56Z
— Laura Love (@Panopticonomy) November 7, 2023
When the letter was published, I posted the following to X:
Law firm statement to law schools on zero tolerance for antisemitism. Proud my old firm, Fried Frank, is a signatory. https://t.co/kCy5kLIs0u
— James Nault, CAPT (USN) (Ret.) (@JamesRNault) November 2, 2023
X users have, of course, weighed in:
NYU entering the FO stage of FAFO as it has been sued for a continued failure to address Antisemitism on campus. https://t.co/Ke1AGNjSZv
— Andrew Jablon (@avj73) November 15, 2023
I feel pretty confident in saying that this lawsuit will be the first of many filed against college and universities in the United States.
Their tepid responses to the explosion of #antisemitism on campus has left them extremely vulnerable. https://t.co/v6yvl83o5D— Brad Pomerance (@bradpomerance) November 15, 2023
Three Jewish students slapped New York University with a lawsuit Tuesday, accusing the private college of fostering a hostile double standard in which Jewish students are subjected to an “egregious” antisemitic “hate-fest” on campus. @jruss_jruss https://t.co/2v8eaXEJeF
— Courthouse News (@CourthouseNews) November 15, 2023
"🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 Jewish students take a stand! Find out why they are suing NYU over rampant antisemitism on campus. This shocking lawsuit exposes the university's failure to protect its students. Read the full story here: https://t.co/QvD6a1Yb7l #Antisemitism #NYU"
— Kamzou L (@kamzou08) November 14, 2023
Senior federal district court judge Paul A. Crotty has been assigned to the case. Judge Crotty was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush in 2005.
I predict NYU is in for the lawsuit of its life.
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Comments
It’s not even lawfare, but pursuit of justice. It will end well because it’s meritorious. Time to take on the anti-Jew bigotry head on. Watch NYU crumble over it’s activities, or lack thereof.
I think you are engaging in wishful thinking. Finding a non-leftist judge and jury in SDNY is very improbable. Meritorious, shmeritorious.
This case will never be tried. NYU will seek to settle. I cannot see how they avoid losing a summary judgment motion in light of all that is going on.
>>NYU will seek to settle.<<
You mean like Oberlin College sought to settle their legal woes? Nope. NYU will most likely do the same thing and battle this lawsuit to the bitter end in their attempt to prove they've done nothing illegal or wrong. So don't expect this case to be over any time soon. It'll drag on for months, perhaps years, as NYU attempts to exhaust the plaintiff's funds to continue the lawsuit.
Which of Oberlin’s legal woes are you referring to? The Gibsons fiasco that ended up costing them the better part of $40 million? Or the 2019 complaint of antisemitism that the U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) just notified Oberlin in two months ago that they’re investigating? (https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/local_news/oberlin-college-focus-of-religious-discrimination-investigation/article_aac2ca5c-8005-11ee-8489-6f669fa07313.html)
This needs teeth. First offense, expulsion for a year, 2nd permanent suspension from that college, 3rd, complete ban nationwide. Three strike rule. Physical violence, total ban.
Immediate revocation of student visa and deportation. Many of the trouble making anti semites are here from the middle east
NYU is woke trash dumpster fire.
CRT, DEI, BLM, LGBT is toxic. Shut it down.
In the 60s Jewish engineers called NYU “NY Jew,” since they all went there.
Remarkable concentration of Jews at Bell Labs. It should be a clue about smart. Bell Labs paid for Masters degrees with a couple days a week off as part of their regular training programs.
Who knows what NYU is like now, but a lot of the complaints seem to be free speech, which is allowed and encouraged at universities.
The problem as always is lack of alternative speech.
“Who knows what NYU is like now” Obtuse.
“free speech, which is allowed and encouraged at universities.” Obtuse.
Good. Do not settle, go for bankruptcy and considering the law firm going after NYU I doubt they will stop anywhere short of ruining that cesspool
I have one comment and one question.
1. Will the the Jewish voting public recognize that Donald Trump is the reason that they are able to take meaningful legal action against these schools, and vote accordingly? I also note that Joe Biden has done nothing (visible anyhow) to demand the release of Hamas’ hostages. Could they be persuaded to vote
Republicanfor Trump as an exception to tradition?2. I know nothing of Law Firm employment practice, but I do know that as a general rule making false statements on an application is a reason for termination if discovered later. Could/ will law firms ask on application, “Did you ever participate in Demonstrations against Israel, “Zionism”, or the Jewish faith? Could the various state bar’s make this same a part of their requirements? No one would even blink about demanding this information about anti-Black protests.
Local, state and federal agencies will hire pro-Hamas lawyers. Government funded NGO’s will hire them as well.
All of the traditional-left charity orgs like the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society were captured by woke marxists. And they’re fully vested in anti-Israel-Jew activism and hiring SJP activist-lawyers is seen as positive.
If they LIE about their participation in those activities, then fired immediately !
Orthodox Jews vote monolithically Republican already.
Your question has the issue of how do you define Jew. If it is by “do you have a Jewish grandfather” your answer is no. Jews are as vulnerable to secularization as Christians and having a grandfather who secularized…..let me put it this way what can you tell about someone’s politics from an Irish or Italian last name in this country (nothing yes?).
If it is by being a practicing Jews there is a different answer and an answer I think you will be very happy with.
Without meaning to be offense, your answer is literally a “No true Scotsman” argument in my opinion.
“American Jews tend to favor Democratic candidates, with 71% of Jewish voters choosing Democratic candidates on average and 26% choosing Republicans since 1968. ”
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-voting-record-in-u-s-presidential-elections
Kasowitz Benson & Torres is Donald Trump’s personal law firm. And until 2017 it was Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman; the fourth name partner was David Friedman, who resigned in order to become US ambassador to Israel. Former senator Joe Lieberman is now senior counsel with the firm.
This is definitely the right firm to champion a case like this.
ACLU
“Israel-Palestine: ACLU Defends SJP Campus Free Speech in Letter to Over 650 Colleges.”
“ACLU blasts Anti-Defamation League for accusing pro-Palestine student groups of supporting Hamas.”
I was just wondering where the ACLU stood on all of this.
“I was just wondering where the ACLU stood on all of this.”
On a pile of dead Jews.
After Ira Glasser retired and was replaced by twofer Anthony Romero (selected because he was both Hispanic and gay), Romero’s turned the ACLU into a cesspool. Nowadays, the ACLU only defends freedom of speech for the woke. I’d be much more interested in knowing F.I.R.E.’s perspective on this.
We MUST put a stop to these revolting antisemitic protests at these Universities. Children attend College to get an education, NOT to be harassed or threatened by other delusional, Racist, and ignorant students.
NYU the new Oberlin college! Where are the Board of Trustees on this fiasco of higher education?
The Bloomberg article claims an alleged “explosion of …’Islamophobia’ ” at colleges nationwide. What utter snd brazen bunk and propaganda. More contrived and fallacious narratives of alleged Muslim vixtimhood and grievance.