Harvard Settles Title VI Antisemitism Lawsuits, Adopts IHRA Definition and Establishes Israel Partnership Post-Trump Inauguration

Jan 21, 2025, 03:55 PM

Harvard University has settled two Title VI lawsuits accusing the institution of mishandling antisemitism on campus, as reported by The Harvard Crimson and Jewish Insider. The settlements, reached on the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, involve undisclosed financial compensation to Jewish students and the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Harvard will also clarify that its non-discrimination policies apply to Jewish and Israeli students, and establish an official partnership with a university in Israel. The settlements come amid a broader trend of US universities settling antisemitism cases ahead of the new Trump administration, which has promised to address such issues more aggressively, particularly in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. Shabbos Kestenbaum, the lead plaintiff in one of the lawsuits, has refused to join the settlement and plans to pursue additional litigation.