Jewish Grad Student Alleges Antisemitism In Latest Class Action Against Northwestern

EVANSTON, IL — Ahead of its president's scheduled testimony before Congress, Northwestern University faces a new federal class action lawsuit alleging intentional discrimination and a hostile environment for Jewish students.

University President Michael Schill is due to testify Thursday before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Earlier this month, Schill and the university were sued in Cook County court by three anonymous students seeking class action status to represent all Jewish students who did not take part in last month's on-campus Gaza solidarity encampment.

And this week, another suit was filed on behalf of a "John Doe" plaintiff by the law firm FeganScott accusing the university of violating Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

"For months, President Schill issued statements that addressed rising antisemitism across Northwestern, none of which had any impact at all on the harassment Jewish students were facing on campus,” Elizabeth Fegan, managing partner of the Chicago-based firm. “As the situation worsened and complaints flooded in, Northwestern, under the direction of President Schill, abandoned Jewish students who were desperate for help.”

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According to the federal civil rights complaint, Doe is a graduate student in the school of arts and sciences who has "experienced severe and pervasive harassment and discrimination at Northwestern since October 7, 2023."

He is "acutely aware that, solely because of his Jewish identity and ancestry, Northwestern views and treats him as a second-class citizen within the Northwestern community, undeserving of the protections that Northwestern affords to non-Jewish students."

The fourth-year grad student has been deprived of "physical protection; emotional support; the sense of belonging and inclusion; the ability to speak freely in on campus or in class concerning his Jewish identity; his rights as an individual to express his identity; his right to freely express his viewpoints, including but not limited to his views of Israel and his Jewish faith; and his right to express his connectedness to Israel," according to his suit.

Northwestern is accused of fostering a hostile environment that has left Doe traumatized and made his educational experience unbearable.

"Doe is concerned about being physically attacked on Northwestern’s campus or in Northwestern’s other facilities. Doe fears the harassment, abuse, and intimidation he might face, on any given day, from the administration, professor, and staff at the University, who are required to treat him with respect and dignity pursuant to the same policies that Northwestern is required to enforce equally for all students," the complaint said. "Doe likewise fears the physical violence, harassment, abuse, and intimidation he might face, on any given day, from the students who are also required to treat him with respect and dignity pursuant to those policies."

Fegen said students were confronted with posters and banners with antisemitic messages and statements glorifying the Oct. 7 attacks on their way to class.

"They were confronted by unauthorized demonstrations, making certain facilities or parts of campus inaccessible," she said. "And while they grew increasingly fearful for their safety, the university turned a blind eye.”

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The 140-page complaint accuses Northwestern of allowing "antisemites to espouse violent anti-Jewish ideology around campus," even before last October. It blames the Northwestern chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, or SJP, as well as specific professors, a May 2021 student government resolution condemning Israel, and a November 2021 protest at a football game.

In that incident, protestors from a coalition of on-campus activist groups stormed Ryan Field during a football game with messages condemning fossil fuel investment, calling for the abolition of the university's private security force and demanding and end to "funding the war on Palestine."

The class action suit also details the controversy over the satirical Northwestern Daily fake student newspaper, demonstrations at Northwestern's Law School and in Evanston, the distribution of anti-Israel flyers to incoming students and the Schill administration's controversial agreement with the organizers of the on-campus tent encampment that was established on April 25.

Jonathan Lindenfeld, another attorney for the latest John Doe plaintiff, said in a statement that university officials have admitted the encampment violated its policies and involved the harassment of Jews.

“What’s more, rather than punish the students, student organizations, and faculty that Northwestern knows contributed to the hostile environment Jewish students endured on campus, President Schill acquiesced to the demonstrators’ demands, agreeing not to hold them accountable for their actions and even went as far as to agreeing to retaliate against anyone that discloses who participated in the encampment," Lindenfeld said.

In addition to the allegation of a violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the suit also contains one count alleging breach of contract by the university.

“It’s thanks to the courage of many Jewish students, including our client, that Northwestern will finally have to answer for its indifference to, and enabling of, antisemitism on campus," he said. "Through our suit, we intend to effectuate systemic change that will ensure the safety and wellbeing of current and future students at Northwestern.”

Earlier: Northwestern President Faces Resignation Calls, Class Action Lawsuit From Jewish Students