NYC university sued, accused of not taking action against antisemitic harassment

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A New York City university has been slapped with a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging the New School's Parsons School of Design "allowed a climate of antisemitic hostility" in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre. 

The lawsuit was filed by the Dhillon Law Group on behalf of Brandon White, a recent Parsons graduate.

The suit alleges that "the university failed to protect him from assault, slurs, and a prolonged campaign of harassment, fueled by protestors’ mistaken belief that he was Jewish." The school is accused of not acting to stop the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group on its campus — along with faculty and other activists — from harassing Jewish and Israeli students, or those who appear to belong to either group.

Students stand outside the Parsons School of Design after the NYPD vacated encampment erected in support of Palestinians, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, May 3, 2024. (REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado)

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White is neither Jewish nor Israeli, but he alleges that he was subjected to anti-Israel activists’ taunts and harassment. According to the lawsuit, on Dec. 4, 2023, activists stopped White from entering the University Center for class, screamed slurs at him, shoved him, slammed a door on his hand and threatened him.

"When someone blocks you from going to class and shoves you out of the only entrance because they assume what you believe, and the university just shrugs — it’s clear something is broken," said White. "This lawsuit is about standing up to that kind of hate and holding the school accountable."

A person walks past anti-Israel posters on the windows of Parsons School of Design after the student encampment erected in support of Palestinians was vacated by NYPD, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas, in New York City, May 3, 2024. (Reuters/David 'Dee' Delgado)

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Protesters allegedly launched a "smear campaign" against White online using his photo and made false claims that he was a "violent bigot." Despite White reporting the incident, the school opened a disciplinary investigation against him — not his alleged assailants. In the end, the university did not take action against those who allegedly harassed White, and his complaint was dismissed.

StandWithUs Legal worked with White during the university's investigation and is now serving as a legal consultant on his case against the New School.

"The kangaroo court process didn’t just fail Brandon White—it sent a message that Jewish students, and those perceived to be Jewish, are not safe or supported on campus," said Yael Lerman, legal director at StandWithUs.

The New School sent Fox News Digital a statement on the lawsuit, saying it is their policy not to comment on pending litigation.

"The New School is a place of shared learning, mutual respect, and open and robust discussion by our students, faculty, and staff. As a community, we do not tolerate discriminatory acts of any kind directed at any individual based upon their race, religion, national origin or other protected categories. Maintaining a safe, civil, and respectful campus environment for all members of our community is our priority," the statement read.

Police officers stand guard outside of the Parsons School of Design after clearing out the student encampment erected in support of Palestinians, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, May 3, 2024. (Reuters/David 'Dee' Delgado)

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Dhillon Law Group partner Matthew Sarelson says the lawsuit is about more than a protest.

"This is about a university that allowed students and staff to use physical force and public smear campaigns against those they deemed ‘Zionists’, real or perceived, and then punished the victims instead of the perpetrators. What happened to Brandon was disgraceful," Sarelson said. "Brandon White’s experience is not an isolated case, it’s a symptom of a broken system where antisemitism is tolerated, even rewarded."