Jewish and Israeli students had sued the school, saying they faced severe and pervasive discrimination on campus.
Jewish and Israeli students had sued the school, saying they faced severe and pervasive discrimination on campus.
Jewish and Israeli students had sued the school, saying they faced severe and pervasive discrimination on campus.
Barnard College has settled a lawsuit brought by Jewish and Israeli students who said they had faced severe and pervasive antisemitism on campus, with administrators pledging that they will maintain a “zero tolerance” policy regarding discrimination and harassment, the college and lawyers representing the students announced Monday.
Barnard, a women’s college affiliated with Columbia University, has been the site of several pro-Palestinian demonstrations during the past 21 months, including a sit-in at the student center this March that ended with arrests. Some Jewish and Israeli students have complained of harassment during demonstrations and in the dining hall and elsewhere on campus. They have also said they have been excluded from some student organizations.
The lawsuit was filed against the trustees of Barnard and Columbia in February 2024 in Federal District Court in Manhattan by two advocacy groups for Jewish students, Students Against Antisemitism and StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, and by several named students. The settlement is only with Barnard; the litigation against Columbia continues.
“Today’s settlement reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining a campus that is safe, welcoming and inclusive for all members of our community,” Laura Ann Rosenbury, the president of Barnard, said in announcing the agreement. “Antisemitism, discrimination and harassment in any form are antithetical to the values Barnard College champions.”
New York University and Harvard University have also settled cases brought by Jewish students who made similar complaints. A fourth lawsuit, against the University of Pennsylvania, was dismissed in June by a federal judge; lawyers for the students are appealing.
“What we’ve aimed to do in these settlements is to require these universities, and in this instance, Barnard, to act responsibly, consistent with the law, to prevent to the extent possible these incidents of antisemitism,” said Marc Kasowitz, whose law firm has represented Jewish students in those four cases.