Washington, D.C. (September 10, 2025) – Following a letter from the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law to the University of Massachusetts Amherst leadership last week, the University announced that the upcoming Coalition of Women in German (WiG) annual academic conference must suspend its Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) policy during the conference, as it violates University anti-discrimination policies, and must make clear on its conference website that there are no restrictions on participation. The University expressed that no academic event should, by design or effect, be exclusionary in nature, and the university will not sponsor an event that violates its policies. After sharing its findings with WiG, the university received written assurances from WiG that, for the 2025 and 2026 conferences: Membership in WiG will not be required for participation in the conference WiG will suspend all restrictions on the source of funding for participation in the conference WiG will not commit any violations of university policy, including the Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Interpersonal Violence, during its conference The conference, scheduled to be held on the UMass Amherst campus on November 6-9 in full partnership with the University, initially had a strong BDS policy in place that would prohibit anyone from relying on financial support from “Israeli institutions” to attend and participate. WiG makes clear that this includes not only funding from Israeli governmental agencies, but “all Israeli academic and cultural institutions.” In order to attend conferences and cover related expenses, though, Israeli scholars – like scholars worldwide – rely on the Israeli International Science Relations Fund, which is administered through Israeli universities. The Brandeis Center’s letter that led to UMass Amherst’s decision implored the university to require WiG to suspend its discriminatory BDS policy, which according to the Brandeis Center is a deliberate “fig leaf for unlawful national origin discrimination against Israelis themselves.” The letter was also shared with the Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism in the Commonwealth. “UMass affirming that BDS violates its anti-discrimination policies is an important precedent that other universities must follow,” said Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman and CEO of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education who ran the Office of Civil Rights during two administrations. “Other universities should follow suit and ensure that organizations with BDS policies disavow that policy’s application prior to any activity on or with that university. University anti-discrimination policies were created for a reason, and outside conferences or events cannot circumvent these protections.” “Boycotters, sanctioners, and divesters beware: boycotting Israelis is a form of national origin discrimination in violation of university policies and federal and state anti-discrimination laws, and we’re coming for you,” said Hon. Rory Lancman, Senior Counsel at the Brandeis Center and a former member of the New York State Assembly and New York City Council. “UMass has shown real leadership by thwarting this attempt to bring unlawful discrimination to its campus, and we expect other universities to act likewise.” The Brandeis Center has filed federal lawsuits against schools such as MIT and Stanford for vicious anti-Semitic targeting of Israeli and Jewish faculty. And in a precedent-setting agreement with Harvard earlier this year after allegations of anti-Semitism on campus, the university agreed to incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism with its examples consistent with Harvard’s non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies, and to explicitly state that conduct that would violate school rules if targeting Jews or Israelis can also be a violation if directed toward Zionists.