Lawsuit says school failed to enforce its rules and tolerated and rewarded a hateful encampment.
Much sued Northwestern University on behalf of three Jewish students, alleging the school broke its promises to the students by failing to enforce its codes of conduct and by permitting acts of antisemitic harassment and intimidation to go unchecked. The class action lawsuit, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, describes how the school did not enforce its own policies designed to keep students safe.
The lawsuit says that in on-campus encampments purportedly protesting the Israel-Hamas war, Jewish students faced antisemitic signs with red lines slashed through the Star of David, chants of genocidal slogans, and other forms of discriminatory conduct. It says that Northwestern University accommodated and rewarded the protestors – even though they violated several school policies – and left Jewish students to navigate a campus littered with hatred.
“When students choose to attend Northwestern University, they expect the school to fulfil its promise to govern everyone by the same transparent, content-neutral code of conduct,” said Steve Blonder, principal at Much. “In exchange for paying tuition, students expect the school will uphold its commitment to ensure they are free to safely move about campus. Northwestern has failed its Jewish students on both accounts.”
The lawsuit asks for the university to take immediate steps to enforce its policies, hold violators of those policies accountable, and prioritize the safety of all of its students.
“Much has a long history of fighting for the rights of those who have been persecuted and underrepresented,” said Much Managing Partner Courtney Mayster. “We believe it is our responsibility to take a strong stance against any form of hate against any group of people.”
