NYU urges dismissal of antisemitism lawsuit, says it acted ‘decisively’

University insists it has taken ‘far more’ steps than law requires to address concerns, and reports of war-fueled antisemitic incidents have declined significantly

New York University said it has moved “decisively” to root out antisemitism on its campus, and that a lawsuit by Jewish students claiming they have been mistreated should be dismissed.

In a Monday night filing in Manhattan federal court, NYU said reports of antisemitism have declined significantly, sometimes to near zero, following a surge immediately after the October 7, 2023 outbreak of war with the Palestinian terror group Hamas’s devastating attack on Israel.

The university also said student victims of antisemitism lack legal standing to demand sweeping changes.

It said it has taken “far more” steps than the law requires to address their concerns, including the adoption of a “10 Point Plan” that boosts on-campus security and disciplines on people who violate its anti-discrimination policies.

“NYU recognizes that the past few months have been profoundly challenging for many members of its community, including its Jewish and Israeli students, but plaintiffs allegations do not state a claim,” it said. “There is no need for this court’s intervention now, and likely never will be.”

Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment.

An antisemitic sign at a pro-Palestinian protest of NYU students and others in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park on October 25, 2023. (Screen capture/X)

The lawsuit filed on November 14 was among the earliest of the now many lawsuits accusing major universities including Carnegie-Mellon, Columbia, Harvard, MIT, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Pennsylvania of failing to stop and even encouraging antisemitism.

Columbia was sued separately last week over its decision to suspend two pro-Palestinian student groups that opposed Israel’s conduct in its war against Hamas.

The NYU plaintiffs accused the school of violating federal civil rights law by enforcing its anti-discrimination policies unevenly, including by allowing chants such as “gas the Jews” and “Hitler was right” while ignoring other bigotry.

The case is Ingber et al v New York University, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 23-10023.

Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, in its October 7 assault and took 253 hostage. Israel responded with a military campaign to topple the Hamas regime in Gaza, destroy the terror group’s military capabilities, and free the hostages.

The Hamas attack, and Israel’s response against the terror group, have fueled an outpouring of antisemitism in the United States, according to law enforcement and Jewish security groups.