A Manhattan college agreed to settle a civil-rights lawsuit with 10 Jewish students who say administrators failed to protect them from an aggressive pro-Palestinian demonstration that trapped them inside a campus library. The settlement comes after a federal judge refused to dismiss the case, and the college agreed to reforms tied to antisemitism and discrimination on campus.
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art reached a settlement with the students on Thursday, ending a lawsuit that alleged the college violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by fostering a hostile educational environment. The private Manhattan institution did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to pay undisclosed compensation and implement policy changes as part of the agreement.
The students’ lawsuit traced back to an Oct. 25, 2023 pro-Palestinian protest that spilled into campus spaces. Jewish students said they were forced to take shelter behind locked library doors while protesters banged on the doors and chanted anti-Israel slogans. The demonstration followed the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, which have heightened tensions on campuses nationwide.
Attorneys for the students said campus leadership failed to protect them and ignored opportunities to intervene. They accused administrators of instructing police who offered assistance to stand down, leaving the students isolated amid the protest. Cooper Union’s critics called the handling of the protest emblematic of a broader rise in campus antisemitism across U.S. universities.
As part of the settlement, Cooper Union agreed to create a new Title VI coordinator position to oversee discrimination and harassment issues, train staff and students about harassment policies, and ban masks at demonstrations that conceal protesters’ identities. These reforms aim to avoid future incidents and ensure compliance with federal civil-rights obligations.
Lawyers representing the Jewish students stressed that students must learn free from harassment or exclusion based on religion or beliefs. This case joins similar lawsuits against institutions such as Columbia University, Harvard University, and New York University, where Jewish students have alleged hostile environments tied to pro-Palestinian activism.
Cooper Union’s president said the settlement “reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining a campus where every student in our community feels respected, safe, and included,” emphasizing efforts to confront discrimination including antisemitism.
