Federal judge denies motion by Harvard to dismiss lawsuit accusing school of allowing 'severe and pervasive' anti-Semitism

A federal judge denied a motion from Harvard University to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Jewish students which accused the school of allowing anti-Semitism to run rampant on campus.

U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns allowed the suit against Harvard to proceed to discovery, according to the Harvard Crimson, which noted that the university will likely need to disclose steps it has taken to prevent anti-Semitism.

Stearns wrote in an order that Harvard “in many instances” failed to respond to “an eruption of antisemitism” on campus, including a failure to discipline “offending students and faculty.”

“In other words, the facts as pled show that Harvard failed its Jewish students,” Stearns wrote.

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Stearns also wrote that the students’ examples “suffice to state a breach of contract claim,” but dismissed a claim from the students which alleged the Ivy League school discriminated directly against Jewish students.

Harvard spokesman Jason Newton said the university is confident they acted fairly.

“We appreciate that the Court dismissed the claim that Harvard directly discriminated against members of our community, and we understand that the court considers it too early to make determinations on other claims,”  Newton wrote. “Harvard is confident that once the facts in this case are made clear, it will be evident that Harvard has acted fairly and with deep concern for supporting our Jewish and Israeli students.”

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Alexander “Shabbos” Kestenbaum, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and plaintiff in the lawsuit said he’s pleased their case can continue.

“We are delighted that the judge recognizes what we have been saying for months now: Harvard has enabled, normalized, and celebrated a culture of antisemitism on its campus,” Kestenbaum wrote. “Jewish students will continue to speak up.”