When Jewish students sued Columbia people wondered if more would follow. Haverford is now in the crosshairs, and I hope Jewish students sue many more schools. Heck, even non-Jewish students should sue over the issues and threats at U.S. colleges
Jewish students sue Haverford University for creating a hostile environment
Students filed a lawsuit on Monday against Haverford College for violating the civil rights of Jewish students by creating a hostile environment toward Jews and for holding double standards on conduct against them compared to other ethnic and religious groups.
The suit filed to the Pennsylvanian Eastern District Court by five plaintiffs contended that the college administration had acted contrary to Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by creating conditions in which Jewish students could not fully participate in classes and programming without fear of harassment.
Jewish students said that they could not speak Hebrew in public, engage in mannerisms that would identify them as Jewish and that they had to hide their beliefs and identities to avoid harassment. Haverford allegedly took no action to address the conditions of faculty and students that engaged in intimidation of Jewish students or for their support of terrorism.
The article lays out many, many, many of the issues cited in the lawsuit, such as tearing down Jewish linked posters, very negative statements, teachers celebrating the Hamas massacre of Jewish music festival attendees, and
Student groups repeatedly engaged in blood libel tropes. In late March, they held a class teaching how “Israel uses COVID[-19] as a tool for settler colonialism in Palestine” and “how the Israeli state intentionally debilitates Palestinians through the spread of COVID.” Haverford Students for Peace on May 9 published an Instagram post with bloody hands reaching for a donut entitled “Say not to blood donuts,” demanding that the college not purchase donuts for a commencement breakfast from Federal Donuts because the owner donated to Israeli causes.
The suit also mentions many instances of double standards, despite a clear policy that disallows hate speech and direct attacks on individuals and groups.
Another Haverford professor, Gina Velasco, allegedly posted on her Facebook page “F*** Israel” and “F*** Zionism,” but the suit notes that while action was not taken against anti-Israel professors, Haverford investigated tenured Jewish Israeli Professor Barak Mendelsohn for social media posts on the relationship between anti-Zionist and anti-Jewish attacks. (snip)
The suit alleged a trend of double standards in favor of some ethnic groups, while Jews and Israelis were disfavored. A January march in which it was alleged there were antisemitic slogans and calls for the state of Israel resulted in no repercussions for the students that attended it because it was off campus. Still, in the past, there were examples of Haverford revoking acceptance of the school after it had been discovered that an aspiring student had made anti-LGBTQ and anti-black statements on social media.
Pretty big double standard. The Jewish students say they have met with university officials over the issues, and the administration really did nothing, so, both administration and other students have made the Jewish student lives terrible. Here’s hoping they make a lot of money, and that many other schools are sued.
Read: Haverford Colleged Sued By Jewish Students Over Hostile Learning Evironment »