Haverford to establish antisemitism committee in settlement of Jew-hatred lawsuit
Haverford College will establish an antisemitism committee and require annual antisemitism training for students, faculty and staff as part of a settlement with the Deborah Project, which sued the Pennsylvania liberal arts college over its handling of alleged Jew-hatred on campus.
The college announced the agreement Friday, and additional details were released the following day. The lawsuit, filed in May 2024 in federal court in Philadelphia, alleged that Haverford had fostered a hostile environment for Jewish students, including by failing to adequately address incidents involving anti-Israel and antisemitic conduct. The settlement resolves the litigation.
Under the agreement, Haverford will affirm that Jewish, Israeli and Zionist students are welcome and entitled to equal access to the college’s educational programs and activities. It also will establish a nine-member antisemitism committee consisting of three Jewish community leaders, three people selected by the plaintiffs and three selected by the college. The committee will advise the president and issue an annual report to the college’s board of managers.
The college’s director of civil rights also will handle antisemitism complaints under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Haverford hired Ray Rodriguez as director of civil rights and Title IX coordinator earlier this year.
The settlement calls for annual antisemitism training for students, faculty and staff, as well as an FAQ on antisemitism and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition. Haverford also agreed to ensure that security for events sponsored by Jewish, Israeli or Zionist groups is as effective as security provided to other campus organizations.
The college will also remove references to “privileged” and “marginalized” students from its Honor Code, the Deborah Project stated.
The settlement will also require those on campus wearing masks or face coverings to disclose their identity when campus officials request it. Those wearing a mask or face covering will also be required to disclose their identity if they threaten a student on campus.
Under the agreement, people wearing masks or other face coverings on campus must identify themselves when requested by campus officials. They also must disclose their identities if they threaten another student, according to the Deborah Project.
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Haverford College will establish an antisemitism committee and implement annual antisemitism training for students, faculty, and staff as part of a settlement with the Deborah Project. The lawsuit, filed in May 2024, alleged the college fostered a hostile environment for Jewish students by not adequately addressing anti-Israel and antisemitic conduct. The agreement, announced Friday, also requires Haverford to affirm that Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist students are welcome and have equal access to college programs. Additionally, the college will ensure effective security for events sponsored by Jewish, Israeli, or Zionist groups and remove "privileged" and "marginalized" student references from its Honor Code. Those wearing masks or face coverings on campus will also be required to disclose their identities upon request by campus officials or if they threaten another student.
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