Distinguished Point Park professor and Holocaust survivor hit with false harassment claim

Dr. Channa Newman—a distinguished professor at Point Park University, Israeli citizen, and Holocaust survivor—was targeted by fellow faculty, staff, and students in response to her advocacy for non-biased education regarding Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

After she objected to efforts by another Point Park professor to foster hateful ant-Zionist and pro-BDS views on campus—included an attempt to establish a course called "Israel: A Settler State” and preaching discriminatory propaganda and misinformation about Israel in several courses—Dr. Newman became the target of a vicious campaign aimed at forcing her to resign. She was ridiculed, humiliated, and vilified on campus and, when she refused to acquiesce to the harassment and leave the University, the onslaught against her escalated. She was accused of an utterly baseless Title IX violation and, without warning or due process, the University banned her from campus and stripped her of her teaching and administrative duties as Department Chair. It was not until Dr. Newman hired civil rights attorney James Lieber to defend her that it was concluded that there was not a shred of evidence to constitute a possible Title IX violation. The University was forced to reinstate Dr. Newman, as required by law, but she continues to be shunned and demonized by faculty and students.

The Lawfare Project joined Dr. Newman's legal team to help her seek justice and demand accountability from the University for this chain of events, which resulted in loss of stature and a hostile work environment.

In August 2022, we were extremely pleased to announce that the matter had been settled.