On March 10, Brandeis Center Chairman and CEO Kenneth Marcus participated in a panel discussion at the National Review and Republican Jewish Coalition’s “Symposium on Antisemitism” at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The conversation, moderated by Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, also featured Noah Pollak, senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, and focused on the legal and policy responses available to address rising anti-Semitism, particularly on American college campuses. Much of the discussion centered on the role that litigation and civil-rights enforcement can play in holding institutions accountable when anti-Semitic harassment, violence, or discrimination occurs. Marcus discussed how lawsuits against universities can serve not only to address individual incidents but also to force transparency, uncover facts through discovery, and compel meaningful institutional reforms when campuses fail to protect Jewish students from hostile environments. “When it comes to bad actors, you need to hit them hard, and that means litigation. That’s why we have been suing Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford, and many universities that tolerate anti-Semitic harm,” Marcus explained. “Beyond that, you have to raise the price of this misconduct, which means going after the perpetrators. That’s why we are suing the different individuals who took over Hamilton Hall at Columbia University and held helpless janitors hostage. Beyond that, you need to go after the organizations that are organizing, training, and funding all of this—often operating offshore. That’s something we do through litigation: holding institutions accountable, obtaining discovery that brings transparency to what they are doing, and ultimately securing settlements or victories that ensure the misconduct stops.” The conversation also addressed broader structural issues affecting universities, including ideological activism on campus, expanding bureaucracies, and the role financial incentives play in shaping institutional priorities. Participants stressed the need for greater transparency in university funding, particularly foreign donations, as well as clearer standards and stronger enforcement to ensure universities protect Jewish students and address anti-Semitism. Marcus also referenced the White House’s high-profile enforcement actions against several major universities at the start of the administration, noting that the effort should now expand to reach a broader range of institutions through the day-to-day work of federal investigations and resolutions. He emphasized that the goal of these agreements should not simply be financial penalties, but concrete institutional reforms that specifically address anti-Semitism and ensure meaningful change. “What I would recommend is that there’s nothing stronger than the executive orders on anti-Semitism,” he said. “They need to be part of the agreement, and if they are driving those agreements, we will see substantive change.” Watch the panel below or catch up on the full event here.