SUCCESS! SFSU complies with settlement agreement, hires Jewish Student Life Coordinator

The Lawfare Project, whose attorneys pursue legal action to defend the civil rights of Jewish communities worldwide, is pleased to announce that San Francisco State University (SFSU) has taken a vital step in complying with our 2019 settlement agreement.

After many delays, SFSU has finally installed a Coordinator of Jewish Student Life, fulfilling a key term in the settlement agreement that successfully resolved the lawsuits Charles Volk and Liam Kern v. Board of Trustees of California State University and Mandel, et al. v. Board of Trustees of California State University, et al.

The lawsuits, which were brought by The Lawfare Project on behalf of Jewish students, were prompted when anti-Zionist groups on campus shouted down the then mayor of Jerusalem and campus security stood idly by, effectively preventing the mayor from speaking, and Hillel, the largest Jewish group on campus, was denied participation in an on-campus student club fair.

As part of the groundbreaking settlement agreement, the University was required to create the new role of, and hire, a Jewish Student Life Coordinator to address issues of antisemitism on campus.

SFSU failed to take the necessary measures to fill this role after a vacancy in 2020 and The Lawfare Project, together with co-counsel, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, threatened to take legal action against the University to compel them to fill the position.

Ziporah Reich, Director of Litigation at The Lawfare Project, said: “While we have been working diligently to enforce each of the terms of the settlement agreement, we’ve placed a high priority on getting the University to hire a Jewish Student Life Coordinator. With the devastating rise in antisemitism on college campuses, it is extremely difficult for Jewish students to navigate their rights without the help of a dedicated professional.”

The appointment of the Coordinator is also significant because the Coordinator’s assistance is necessary to fulfill several other terms of the agreement.

The Lawfare Project will continue to monitor the University’s enforcement process to ensure all of its obligations under the settlement agreement are met.