Haverford College has agreed to new policies opposing antisemitism to settle a lawsuit

Haverford College has agreed to form an antisemitism committee and enact policies supporting Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist students as part of a settlement of a suit filed during a wave of protests against the Israel-Gaza war.

The suit, filed in May 2024, months after Hamas’ attack on Israel, contended the college failed to protect the plaintiffs and allowed antisemitic harassment and bias to flourish on campus.

“We’re very proud that Haverford College will be a welcoming place for everyone, including Jews and others that support a Jewish state,” said Lori Lowenthal Marcus, legal director for the Deborah Project, the law firm that took on the case.

Haverford College president Wendy Raymond released a public letter on Friday as part of the settlement in which she said the college supports students who are Jewish, Israeli, or supporters of Zionism.

“In a community of learning, we may vehemently disagree with one another about the policies and actions of governments, but it is never acceptable to let those disagreements descend into the realm of discrimination, harassment, or bias,” Raymond said.

The settlement aims to resolve injustices that students said they faced for supporting Israel while protests engulfed the small liberal arts campus, Marcus said.

One student feared her in-class comments would reveal she was Jewish and put her at risk of discrimination from her professor, Marcus said.

Others holding a meeting on antisemitism were interrupted by bullhorns, pots and pans, and cowbells.

A plaintiff, former Haverford basketball player Ally Landau, was told she couldn’t promote antisemitism awareness at a game because the college couldn’t guarantee enough security to keep the game from being canceled.

To address some of these issues, the college agreed that its new civil rights director would look into antisemitism claims, Marcus said.

The civil rights director will work with an antisemitism committee made up of three Jewish community leaders, three people chosen by the plaintiffs, and three chosen by the school. The committee will advise the school president and provide an annual report to the college’s board of managers.

“The committee and the civil rights director will look into whether anti-Israel sentiment is antisemitism,” Marcus said, and will rely on guidance from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

Campus events hosted by Jewish Zionist or Israeli students are guaranteed security similar to what other events would get.

People wearing masks or face coverings on campus will be required to show identification if asked by campus authorities.

Professors who refuse to write letters of recommendation due to a student’s Jewish, Zionist, or Israeli identity will be in violation of the school’s anti-discrimination policy.

And the college will mandate annual antisemitism awareness training and has added details on its anti-discrimination policies in its admissions documents. It also will publish a frequently asked questions document about antisemitism.

Marcus declined to say whether the settlement included monetary compensation. She said the formation of the committee and new policies were the important changes.

“It was a great resolution for what was a painful situation,” Marcus said.

In her letter, Haverford president Raymond, who plans to step down in 2027, said the college is committed to doing better going forward.

“It is our shared responsibility to create and maintain a community of belonging for all, where we each contribute to a learning environment and culture in which every person can thrive. Haverford College commits itself to ensuring such a future,” Raymond said.