Three Jewish students at New York University sued the school on Tuesday, claiming it failed to protect students from “egregious” antisemitism that has worsened since the Israel-Hamas war began.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims the university administration must take action under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination based on race, color or national origin.
“For years, NYU — acutely aware of ongoing and disgraceful acts of anti-Jewish bigotry —has reacted with, at best, deliberate indifference, refusing to enforce its own anti-discrimination and conduct policies,” according to the complaint.
The explosion of antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses has led to renewed interest in whether students can use Title VI to force universities to take stronger action to protect them. President Joe Biden’s administration has vowed to use the law in the face of campus threats and violence.
The students sued amid searing criticism of college administrators at schools including Harvard, Columbia, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania.