Barnard College Settles Antisemitism Lawsuit

Barnard College in New York City has settled a lawsuit brought by 36 Jewish students who accused the administrations of Barnard and the affiliated Columbia University of failing to address a toxic outbreak of antisemitism that roiled their campuses following Hamas’ homicidal rampage across southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

In a joint press release issued on Monday, Barnard and the students’ legal representatives — StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice (SCLJ) and Kasowtiz LLP — said the terms of the settlement benefit all parties, providing for new education initiatives on antisemitism, updates to the college’s antidiscrimination policies, and new rules to block students from holding unauthorized, surprise protests that disrupt academic life.

“Antisemitism, discrimination, and harassment in any form are antithetical to values Barnard College champions,” Barnard President Laura Ann Rosenbury said in a statement. “Today’s settlement reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining a campus that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all members of our community. These new measures, including enhanced training and a dedicated Title VI coordinator, build on Barnard’s existing policies and make our standards and expectations for treating one another, both on and off campus, crystal clear. We look forward to continued partnership and collaboration in support of all members of the Barnard community.”

Barnard administrators themselves effectively facilitated anti-Zionist activity on campus, according to the students’ complaint, citing an incident in which school officials invited anti-Israel activist Hatem Bazian, best known for saying “It’s about time we had an intifada in [the US],” to speak at a “Day of Dialogue” event in January 2024. While Jewish community advocates criticized the invitation for platforming ideologies which openly call for the destruction of Israel, the college defended Bazian as a “renowned scholar.”

Meanwhile, pro-Hamas students allegedly responded to dog whistles they heard emanating from the administration.

“Why are you here?” a pro-Hamas activist asked a Jewish student identified in court documents as John Doe, during a period of campus unrest, several days after Bazian spoke on campus. “Are you here as a Jew? … Well, we’re fighting against you.”

In a major victory for Jewish students, the college also agreed never to engage with Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which emerged after the Oct. 7 attacks as one of the most militant anti-Israel groups in American higher education for its role in building takeovers and physical assaults on Jewish students.

“Antisemitism should never be normalized or accepted,” SCLJ executive director Carly Gammill said in Monday’s press release. “Jewish students have every right to expect — and demand — that their campus environments are free from hostility toward their protected identities, and we understand this settlement as a demonstration of Barnard’s commitment to ensuring equal treatment for its Jewish students.

The students’ suit also names Columbia University, which is independently litigating the matter, as a defendant.

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.

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