Northwestern students sue school for failure to protect Jews on campus amid pro-Hamas protests
On May 20, a group of Jewish students filed a class action lawsuit against Northwestern University for failing to protect Jews in the midst of anti-Israel demonstrations on campus.
'We've seen antisemitism go unaddressed for a long time,' prosecuting attorney Jonathan Lindenfeld noted, 'and in the last several months, since October 7, it's become unbearable.'
On May 20, a group of Jewish students filed a class action lawsuit against Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois for failing to protect Jews in the midst of pro-Palestine, anti-Israel demonstrations on campus.
“The university has an obligation under its own policies, as well as the Civil Rights Act, to ensure the First Amendment of these students does not overtake the university’s obligation to ensure that Jewish students have a safe environment for their educational experience,” prosecuting attorney Jonathan Lindenfeld of FeganScott stated.
[RELATED: NORTHWESTERN SURRENDERS: University to pay off protesters to disband encampment]
Lindenfeld told CBS News that anti-Semitism on college campuses has become “unbearable” in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks against Israel.
“We’ve seen antisemitism go unaddressed for a long time,” he noted. “[A]nd in the last several months, since October 7, it’s become unbearable.”
The Northwestern administration recently reached an agreement with pro-Palestine protestors that limited but did not immediately end the encampment on campus. Per the agreement, the occupation will remain in place until June 1, according to the Daily Northwestern.
However, the managing partner of FeganScott, Elizabeth Fegan, stated that Northwestern’s alleged insufficient response to anti-Semitism on campus began “months” ago.
“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,” Fegan said. “As the situation worsened and complaints flooded in, Northwestern, under the direction of President Schill, abandoned Jewish students who were desperate for help.”
Fegan continued in her statement about the specific struggles that Jewish students have had to face on Northwestern’s campus following Oct. 7.
“To go to class, these students had to face posters and banners containing antisemitic slogans and glorifying the October 7 terrorist attacks,” Fegan said. “They were confronted by unauthorized demonstrations, making certain facilities or parts of campus inaccessible. And while they grew increasingly fearful for their safety, the university turned a blind eye.”
Lindenfeld also added in a public statement that the university allegedly capitulated to pro-Palestine demonstrators’ demands instead of immediately removing their encampment.
“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 stated.
Campus Reform has contacted Northwestern University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
