In this issue, we examine pivotal legal and policy developments shaping the national response to campus anti-Semitism—from filing new, innovative lawsuits at Columbia and UCLA, to Harvard’s federal funding standoff, to the Brandeis Center’s advancing lawsuit against UC Berkeley. We also highlight new government actions, influential thought leadership from Brandeis Center experts, and a congressional briefing focused on safeguarding the rights of Jewish Americans amidst the historic rise in anti-Semitism. 

In this issue: 

Brandeis Center Sues Organizations and Individuals Behind Columbia University Janitor Assault, UCLA Encampments 

Last weekend, the Brandeis Center filed two new lawsuits targeting the organizations allegedly behind anti-Semitic encampments at Columbia University and UCLA, as reported exclusively in The Free Press. Unlike previous lawsuits focused on university administrations, these actions directly accuse professional activist groups of orchestrating violent, racially motivated assaults and civil rights violations against Jewish students and others. The lawsuits allege that groups with ties to Hamas coordinated the occupation of Columbia’s Hamilton Hall and the establishment of “Jew exclusion zones” at UCLA, fostering environments of intimidation, violence, and discrimination. This follows recent legal victories by the Brandeis Center, including a landmark settlement with Harvard University to strengthen anti-Semitism policies. 

According to Kenneth L. Marcus, Chairman and CEO of the Brandeis Center, “These were not organic student-driven events, as they claimed to be. This was part of a professional, coordinated effort that we’re seeing taking place across the country… Until we acknowledge that these protests were part of a larger web of radical anti-Semitism, and until we hold the perpetrators actually carrying out this abuse accountable, these vicious attacks will continue. And Jewish students and faculty – and those who stand up for them – will continue to suffer.” 

Columbia University

Filed by Torridon Law PLLC and the Brandeis Center, the complaint alleges that pro-Hamas group The People’s Forum, Inc. and numerous individuals, including professional agitators, were responsible for brutalizing two janitors during the takeover of Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall.  As a result, these two janitors have not been able to return to work and now suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The complaint also alleges that numerous non-defendant pro-Hamas organizations and groups, including Within Our Lifetime United For Palestine, Westchester People’s Action Coalition, Inc., Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, and Columbia-Barnard Jewish Voice for Peace, directly or indirectly supported the seizure of Hamilton Hall.  

Mr. Marcus spoke more about the lawsuit on Fox News. Watch the full segment here. 

UCLA Encampments

Filed by Consovoy McCarthy PLLC and the Brandeis Center, the UCLA complaint alleges that several groups – including National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), AJP Educational Foundation, Inc., Faculty for Justice in Palestine Network, WESPAC Foundation, and People’s City Council – engaged in a long-running and coordinated anti-Semitic conspiracy to deny Jews equal access to campus. 

According to the complaint, anti-Semitism on campus severely worsened when protesters erected a violent, pro-Hamas encampment on Dickson Plaza and Royce Quad. Within the encampment, protesters created and enforced a “Jew exclusion zone,” which was defended by threats of physical violence. Protesters designated teams of security personnel armed with wooden planks, makeshift shields, pepper spray, tasers, and even a sword to man “checkpoints” and “human phalanxes” designed to intimidate Jewish and Israeli students and faculty.

Implications from Harvard’s Fight for Federal Funding 

Shortly after President Trump announced his intention to rescind federal funding from universities that, in his words, “promote antisemitism and fail to protect Jewish students,” $2.2 billion in federal funds to Harvard were frozen, and its nonprofit status was threatened. In response, Harvard’s president took a strong stance opposing the administration’s demands, setting up a standoff that could redefine how elite institutions manage academic autonomy. However, in a new piece for The New York Sun, Brandeis Center Chairman and CEO  Kenneth L. Marcus  reminds us that the reality is more complex: “There are strings attached when one accepts billions of dollars in taxpayer money.” 

The impact this standoff will have on the fight against anti-Semitism and the future of higher education remains to be seen. As  Mr. Marcus  told  The New York Times, the government’s proposals go “far beyond anti-Semitism and reflect a far wider cultural concern within the conservative movement about what is rotten in higher education.” He added in The Boston Globe  that Harvard’s response “is not a good look for Harvard… this is not the time to act on ideological differences.”

 

Alyza Lewin on Boundless Insights with Aviva Klompas podcast 

Alyza D. Lewin is featured on the latest episode of the  Boundless Insights  with Aviva Klompas podcast, where she discusses the current surge of anti-Semitism on college campuses, the federal government’s response, and the legal frameworks in place to protect the civil rights of Jewish students. She also addresses distinctions between protected speech and unlawful harassment, and the importance of

elevating the voices of Jewish students.  
 
“When does criticism of Israel cross the line into anti-Semitism? We need to be able to distinguish between good faith political debate about policies… and what is happening on university campuses.” 

This episode offers timely insight into how civil rights protections under Title VI can be used to combat anti-Semitism and support safe, inclusive learning environments. 
 
To learn more listen to the full episode on  Apple,  Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

 

Court Rules Brandeis Center Title VI and Constitutional Law Claims Against Berkeley Will Proceed 

Last week, a California court rejected UC Berkeley’s motion to dismiss the Brandeis Center’s lawsuit against the University for its deliberate indifference to the harassment of Jewish and Israeli students and its discriminatory treatment of those students. The Court’s denial of the University’s motion to dismiss means that the Brandeis Center’s claims under the United States Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act will go forward. This is a substantial victory for Berkeley students and for the broader fight against campus anti-Semitism. 

Following the Court’s ruling, the case will proceed to the “discovery” phase, wherein UC Berkeley will be compelled to disclose important documents to LDB. The Brandeis Center is pleased  that the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher — recognized as one of the Top 10 U.S. law firms on American Lawyer’s A-List — will join our litigation team moving forward in this case. We are committed to ensuring that justice prevails for the many Jewish students whose civil rights have been violated. 

Read more about the latest in the case in Reuters.

How Government Action Can Combat Campus Anti-Semitism 

A newly formed U.S. government task force has launched a campaign targeting elite American universities, pressuring them to address anti-Semitism and reshape campus culture. Led by officials from several federal departments, including Health and Human Services, Education, and Justice, the task force has already frozen or withdrawn over $11 billion in federal funding from institutions like Columbia and Harvard. Its broad mandate extends beyond combating combatting anti-Semitism to challenging perceived progressive orthodoxy in higher education, including DEI initiatives and affirmative action. 

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Kenneth L. Marcus, former head of the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights and current chairman and CEO of the Brandeis Center, praised the task force’s approach. He described the involvement of the General Services Administration in the task force’s work as a “brilliant stroke,” noting that the power to pull back contracts “brings to bear immense new potentials for influencing compliance with federal civil rights laws.” 
 
Mr. Marcus also joined The Story with Martha MacCallum on Fox News to discuss how universities are not innocent bystanders in the broad-based attacks we are seeing across campuses. 

Confronting Anti-Semitism: Policy Briefing for the 119th Congress  

On April 11, the Brandeis Center hosted a Capitol Hill briefing with the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, outlining the current state of anti-Semitism in America and the policy solutions needed to address it. Kenneth L. Marcus was joined by Denise Katz-Prober, Director of Legal Initiatives at the Brandeis Center, along with Dan Granot, National Director of Antisemitism Policy at ADL, Arie Lipnick, advisor for the Combat Antisemitism Movement, David Goldfarb, Senior Director at Jewish Federations Strategic Health Center, and Dr. Charles Asher Small, the founding director and president of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy.  

Read more on the blog and watch the full event below: