School agrees to implement several measures to address anti-Semitism
Barnard College, Columbia University’s sister school, settled a lawsuit Monday with a group of Jewish students who accused the school of “egregious civil rights violations,” agreeing to implement several measures to address anti-Semitism on its campus.
Dozens of Jewish students filed the suit against both Barnard and Columbia in June 2024, arguing that the schools “practice a double standard by which Jewish students are deemed unworthy of the protections afforded to non-Jewish students.” While the suit against Columbia is ongoing, Barnard committed to several remedial actions to resolve its side of the complaint. It agreed, for example, to hire a Title VI coordinator who will review and respond to allegations involving discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.
Barnard also agreed to follow guidance from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to “consider” the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, though it won’t formally adopt it. That definition states that “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor,” is a form of anti-Semitism.
Barnard president Laura Ann Rosenbury said the “settlement reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining a campus that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all members of our community.”
“Antisemitism, discrimination, and harassment in any form are antithetical to the values Barnard College champions,” she said in a statement. “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.”
The settlement aligns with similar moves universities have taken in recent months to resolve legal complaints surrounding anti-Semitism. Harvard University, for example, agreed to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism and non-discrimination protections for “Zionists” as part of a January settlement.
While Barnard and Columbia are separate institutions, the two schools are deeply intertwined. Students can cross-register for courses, join each other’s student clubs, and access each other’s campuses.
That integration also means anti-Semitic incidents at one school could affect Jewish students at the other. In the aftermath of Oct. 7, Jewish students at Columbia and Barnard have endured repeated harassment and discrimination and have had their classes regularly disrupted by anti-Semitic rallies, according to the lawsuit.
And since it was filed in June 2024, there have been several major anti-Israel disruptions, including raids by anti-Semitic agitators on both campuses. Two Barnard buildings and a Columbia library were stormed during the spring semester, during which radicals hospitalized several security guards and handed out Hamas propaganda.
As part of Monday’s settlement, Barnard has agreed to “not recognize, meet, or negotiate” with Columbia University Apartheid Divest, one of the student groups that led the violent occupations.
Barnard also committed to requiring students, faculty, and staff to complete comprehensive anti-harassment and discrimination training, with a focus on addressing anti-Semitism, and clarify that students may face disciplinary action for policy violations occurring off-campus, including online activities. Barnard will enable students to enroll in Jewish Theological Seminary courses for credit for free, reject divestment proposals, and enforce clear time, place, and manner restrictions, and restrict face masks.
Carly Gammill, executive director of StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, one of the groups that brought the complaint on behalf of the students, said the settlement was “a demonstration of Barnard’s commitment to ensuring equal treatment for its Jewish students.”
“Antisemitism should never be normalized or accepted. Jewish students have every right to expect—and demand—that their campus environments are free from hostility toward their protected identities,” she said in a statement.
The students’ lead attorney, Marc Kasowitz, encouraged other universities to follow suit.
“Barnard’s commitment to take meaningful actions to combat antisemitism demonstrates its leadership in the fight against antisemitism and upholding the rights of Jewish and Israeli students,” he wrote. “These commitments are not only the right thing to do, but are essential to creating a welcome and inclusive campus for all members of the Barnard community. I encourage other colleges and universities to do the right thing and follow Barnard’s lead.”
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