Harvard student says systemic antisemitism on campus ‘should outrage all American citizens’ amid lawsuit
Harvard has been sued for violating Jewish students' civil rights
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harvard University is being sued by students for what they claim is systemic antisemitism on campus that "should outrage all American citizens."
"Most importantly, it’s really critical to realize that we are not asking for special treatment by Harvard. We are asking for equal treatment by Harvard," Harvard University graduate student Shabbos Kestenbaum said Friday on "FOX & Friends First."
"What that means is, Harvard unfortunately has a pattern of engaging and even promoting antisemitism on campus. What that looks like is allowing students to say in front of a thousand students, faculty, and Harvard affiliates, just a week after Oct. 7, that resistance is justified, that they don’t see Hamas as terrorists," Kestenbaum continued. "That included having swastikas drawn all over campus and not having any type of condemnation, or follow-up or adequate protections for Jewish students."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Israel-Gaza war sparked antisemitic hostilities in cities all over the United States, including college campuses. (Fox News Digital)
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Kasowitz Benson Torres (KBT), a major New York City law firm that has been investigating colleges for allegedly violating Jewish students' Title VI civil rights.
KBT recently hit New York University with litigation, the first of what is expected to be a series of legal actions from the firm against elite universities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Title VI prohibits any institution that receives federal funding from discriminating against groups on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The lawsuit alleges that the antisemitism is "severe and pervasive" and that it created a "hostile environment" where Jewish students are "unsafe against their abusers."
Harvard was sued for "antisemitism cancer" on its campus, "damaging" its Jewish students. (Getty)
Kestenbaum said Harvard professors encouraged students to "go protest" and on-campus demonstrations regularly called for intifada or included the "river to the sea" chants.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What this lawsuit hopes to do is twofold. No. 1, raise attention and raise awareness of just how systemic the problem of antisemitism at Harvard is," he said. "No. 2, force Harvard to engage in the sort of dialogue and protections for Jewish students as they would with any other minority group."
Kestenbaum said filing the lawsuit was the "last course of action" after attempting to engage with deans, administrators and faculty to no avail.
"I think, unfortunately, you have to hit Harvard where it hurts," Kestenbaum said. "This is something that should outrage all American citizens."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harvard declined a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital.