Published by The Jewish Edition on November 7, 2025 The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law has asked the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to allow a Jewish plaintiff to proceed anonymously in her lawsuit against the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). The center argued that the district court’s decision denying the plaintiff their right to anonymity should be overturned. The complaint describes one of the most alarming antisemitic environments on a campus anywhere in North America, where Jewish and Israeli students were derided on social media as “Zionist pigs” by their peers, who also stated, “we don’t do enough to bully the Zionists at FIT,” and encouraged physical violence against Jewish students. According to the complaint, FIT’s campus was plagued with antisemitic graffiti and stickers justifying Hamas’ October 7 massacre, labeling Zionism as terrorism, and urging others to “Punch A Zionist!!!” FIT students invoked classic antisemitic tropes about Jewish power and greed, claiming Jewish students “have all types of support and money” and “literally control our school.” A Jewish student’s attempt to be appointed president of a club was rescinded solely because she is Jewish. According to the complaint, rather than addressing the mistreatment, FIT allowed pro-Hamas students to exploit the bias complaint process with baseless claims aimed at harassing Jewish students and failed to enforce university rules when anti-Israel protestors violated campus policies. According to the Brandeis Center’s amicus brief, protecting the ability of victims to safely report discrimination and pursue justice without fear is central to the Brandeis Center’s mission to defend Jewish students, faculty, and professionals from antisemitism in all its forms. Victims should not have to choose between their civil rights and their safety. The Brandeis Center also announced for the first time that the Department of Education has opened an investigation into a separate federal complaint filed by the center and the Anti-Defamation League against FIT. The complaint, submitted in September 2024 to the Office for Civil Rights, alleges that Jewish students were subjected to severe and pervasive harassment, discrimination, and unequal treatment on campus. “We routinely hear from Jewish students and professionals who are too afraid to come forward publicly,” said the Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education. “They fear being doxxed (publicly releasing someone’s private or identifying information without their consent), stalked, defamed, or ostracized – and without anonymity, many will simply remain silent. Courts must not allow antisemitism to chill Jewish voices seeking justice. By preventing victims from filing complaints anonymously, more Jewish individuals will be forced to abandon their civil rights rather than face potential consequences from their abusers. Our nation’s legal system was created to protect the most vulnerable populations.”