Barnard Settles Antisemitism Lawsuit, Agrees to Demands

Barnard College settled a lawsuit brought by Jewish students who claimed the institution failed to sufficiently address campus antisemitism. Barnard, student plaintiffs and two Jewish advocacy groups, StandWithUs and Students Against Antisemitism, announced the settlement on Monday.

As part of the settlement, Barnard agreed to a list of demands, including banning masks at campus protests, affirming its endowment won’t go toward “political positions” and refusing to “recognize, meet, or negotiate with” a student pro-Palestinian group and any future spin-off organizations. Additionally, the college plans to create a new Title VI coordinator position to respond to discrimination complaints. The coordinator is expected to comply with federal guidance to “consider” the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which defines certain criticisms of Israel as antisemitism. Barnard is also expanding its partnership with the Jewish Theological Seminary such that Barnard students can take free courses there starting this fall.

“Antisemitism, discrimination, and harassment in any form are antithetical to the values Barnard College champions,” Barnard College president Laura Ann Rosenbury said in the announcement. “Today’s settlement reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining a campus that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all members of our community.” The new measures “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 received swift pushback from some on campus.

“This settlement appears to equate criticism of Israel with antisemitism,” Nara Milanich, a Barnard history professor who is Jewish, told CNN. “That is a problem for critical thought and academic freedom.”

The lawsuit, filed in February of last year, was brought against both Barnard and Columbia University. The litigation against Columbia continues, CNN reported.