The Lawfare Project Announces Lawsuit Against Hunter College at CUNY

The Lawfare Project announced today that, together with the international law firm Alston & Bird, they filed a lawsuit against CUNY Hunter College for failing to take meaningful action to address the rampant antisemitism on campus. The suit, filed on behalf of The Chair in Jewish Studies and Director of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at Hunter College describes a campus engulfed by vitriolic protests and antisemitic materials, creating an environment of fear for Jewish students and faculty. 

“CUNY Hunter failed to protect Jewish students, faculty and staff by allowing antisemitism to flourish on campus,” said Brooke Goldstein, Founder and Executive Director of The Lawfare Project. “Our lawsuit not only seeks justice for our Plaintiff but aims to hold CUNY Hunter responsible for their lack of action to address bigotry and intimidation.”

According to the complaint, CUNY Hunter silenced Jewish expression by refusing to allow the menorah lighting on Hannukah, while enabling anti-Jewish expression on campus, including the screening of the antisemitic film Israelism. 

“This lawsuit seeks to confront CUNY Hunter’s disregard for the pervasive antisemitism that has taken root on its campus,” said Ziporah Reich, Director of Litigation at The Lawfare Project. “CUNY Hunter’s failure to protect its Jewish community underscores a deeply troubling systemic issue, and the institution must be held accountable.” 

The Alston & Bird team includes litigation partners Michael Hefter and Seth M. Cohen, and litigation senior associate Alan M. Mendelsohn. The firm remains committed to a range of pro bono and legal service efforts.