Jewish students sue MIT for alleged complicity in antisemitism on campus News
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Jewish students sue MIT for alleged complicity in antisemitism on campus

The StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice (SCLJ) and two Jewish students filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), alleging that the university has violated the students’ rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by fostering an environment of antisemitism.

The lawsuit, filed in the Massachusetts District Court, accuses MIT of a range of actions that purportedly support and enable antisemitism on campus, including tolerating harassment of Jewish students and professors, allowing calls for violence against Jews without disciplinary actions and permitting discriminatory activities against Jews while addressing similar behaviors against other protected groups under Title VI. It further alleges that these actions and policies have made Jewish students feel unsafe, leading some to defer graduation or exams and avoid certain areas of the campus.

The complaint details specific incidents, such as professors being intimidated by students outside their offices and Jewish and Israeli students being physically prevented from attending classes by groups of hostile students. The lawsuit seeks to compel MIT to halt its discriminatory policies and to pay monetary damages for the alleged violations of the civil rights of Jewish students.

Yael Lerman, director of SCLJ, emphasized the lawsuit’s aim to challenge what is seen as MIT’s evasion of accountability and its ongoing support of antisemitism on its campus. The alleging parties have highlighted that this lawsuit is characterized by a pressing need for a safe and discrimination-free educational environment for Jewish students in accordance with MIT’s mandate to its student body.

This is not the first time MIT has undergone public scrutiny with respect to its response to antisemitism. The House Committee on Education and Workforce initiated a formal investigation on December 7, 2023, into MIT, Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) concerning their handling of rising antisemitism on their campuses. This move followed a hearing where the universities’ presidents were scrutinized over their institutions’ policies on free speech, anti-bullying and responses to Title VI violations, which mandate safe, harassment-free learning environments. The hearing, led by Representative Elise Stefanik, questioned the presidents of the respective universities about their stance on speech advocating genocide against Jewish people in addition to addressing broader concerns over hate speech. The aftermath saw calls for the resignation of the university presidents due to perceived inadequacies in their responses.

The committee’s investigation, along with this most recent legal action, is situated against the backdrop of a reported rise in antisemitism in the US. An American Jewish Committee (AJC) report released February 13, 2024, revealed a growing unease among American Jews, with nearly two-thirds feeling less secure in the US than they did a year ago.

MIT issued a statement indicating that it is its policy not to comment on ongoing legal disputes. The statement also mentioned that MIT has established protocols to manage and address issues related to discrimination and harassment.

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