The students sued amid searing criticism of college administrators at multiple schools
(Bloomberg) --New York University reached a settlement with three Jewish students who claimed in a lawsuit that the school failed to protect them from “egregious” antisemitism that worsened after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
No details of the accord were provided in a message Monday from a spokesperson for the Manhattan federal court’s district executive, who said a status conference in the case scheduled for Tuesday is canceled.
“The parties will issue a joint statement tomorrow,” NYU spokesperson John Beckman said in an email.
The NYU students sued in November amid searing criticism of college administrators at multiple East Coast schools. The suit alleged that attacks on Jewish students escalated since Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the US and the European Union, attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Since then, many students and faculty “openly and enthusiastically” endorsed Hamas, according to the complaint.
Lawyers for the students didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The explosion of antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses late last year prompted a vow from President Joe Biden’s administration to use the law in the face of campus threats and violence.
The US Education Department announced resources aimed at ensuring schools and college campuses have the tools they need to protect students from discrimination and harassment because of their race, color, or national origin, including students who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, Arab or Palestinian. The department’s civil rights office also opened multiple investigations targeting individual schools.
The department announced Monday that Brown University voluntarily agreed to clarify and enhance policies and procedures related to discrimination and harassment complaints, including those related to antisemitism. Brown denied violating civil rights laws.
The NYU case is Ingber v. New York University, 23-cv-10023, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
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