New York University (NYU) has reached a settlement in a federal antisemitism lawsuit brought by Jewish students, as announced in a joint statement issued on Tuesday. NYU juniors Bella Ingber, Sabrina Maslavi, and Saul Tawil filed the lawsuit on November 14 in Manhattan federal court, accusing the university of fostering an environment of antisemitism and inadequately enforcing its anti-discrimination policies following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claimed that NYU’s administration allowed hostile antisemitic behavior, including chants like “gas the Jews” and “Hitler was right,” and failed to address various forms of bigotry. In response, NYU asserted that it had actively combated antisemitism and argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed.
In light of the lawsuit, NYU’s President Linda Mills reiterated the institution’s commitment to addressing all forms of discrimination. “We are committed to continuing our vigorous efforts to confront discrimination, including antisemitism, and the settlement in this litigation is yet another step in this direction,” Mills stated in the joint settlement.
The settlement involves undisclosed monetary compensation and underscores NYU’s pledge to handle all discrimination allegations in accordance with its Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy. Key components of the agreement include the introduction of a Title VI Coordinator to ensure adherence to civil rights laws, revisions to conduct guidelines, mandatory antisemitism training, and annual communications affirming the university’s zero-tolerance stance. Furthermore, NYU will enhance academic resources on antisemitism and bolster its collaboration with Tel Aviv University.
Representing the plaintiffs, counsel Marc Kasowitz commented, “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.”
For further details about the settlement and NYU’s initiatives, you can read the full announcement on JURIST’s website here.