Leena Dzemaili
A settlement was reached last month in Jews at Haverford v. Corp. of Haverford College. In an email sent Aug. 7, Raymond details commitments to the Jewish community at Haverford. This includes updated Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Access policies.
The lawsuit “Jews at Haverford v. The Corporation of Haverford College” addressed alleged antisemitism incidents at Haverford College. Filed in May 2024 by the Deborah Project, the lawsuit was dismissed twice by Judge Gerald Austin McHugh of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After more than two years, the parties involved have come to an agreement, and the surviving claim of breach of contract resulted in a settlement.
Since the initial complaint, President Wendy Raymond has testified before a congressional committee alongside several other University leaders in a hearing about antisemitism on college campuses.
In the college-wide email Raymond writes,
“All students including those who identify as Jewish, and/or Israeli, and those who support Zionism: that is, the right of the Jewish people to self-determination and statehood in the land of Israel, are welcome and enjoy equal access to the College and all of its educational programs and activities.
Harassing, excluding, or seeking to silence Jewish community members based on their beliefs, their commitment to Jewish observance, or any other element of their Jewish identity, including Zionism, is anathema to the College’s core principles of trust, concern, and respect. This extends to our classrooms, offices, and student-led organizations and activities, and it includes all employees (faculty, staff and administrators) and students.”
The Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) page also states that Haverford’s values, mission, and policy do not allow for harassment, discrimination, or bias towards “students who identify as Jewish, and/or Israeli, and those who support Zionism, the right of the Jewish people to self-determination and statehood in the land of Israel.” It also states that no Haverford professor can discriminate, refuse to support, engage with, or treat a student differently if they hold these commitments.
Raymond also writes that she acknowledges that students with “a commitment to the state of Israel as the Jewish Homeland” have been hurt by events that occurred after October 7th, 2023, and that this is a failure of the College. She ends the email by reiterating the importance of respect and civility, and that Haverford holds itself to its own values, going beyond what the law mandates.
In accordance with the settlement agreement, Haverford has updated its Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Access policies, adding new measures aimed at combatting antisemitism. There is an updated masking policy that requires students to reveal their identity to Campus Safety or Dean’s Division staff. The college added information on nondiscrimination and reporting discrimination to Admission materials. The list adds clarification on the role of the Civil Rights Director, Ray Rodriguez, who was recently hired, and their executive jurisdiction over Title VI claims relating to antisemitism. The new policy also reaffirms that campus events run by or advertised by Jewish and/or Israeli individuals are entitled to the same level of security as other campus events. The policy also addresses the status of the Jewish identity as a protected class. It states that criticism of Zionism is against college policy when used as a proxy for antisemitism.
The college also states new actions it is taking regarding the matter. The first action is forming an Antisemitism committee with six members, where half of the members are appointed directly by the Deborah Project. This committee will provide a yearly report and advise the President and the college on these matters. The school will also provide annual antisemitism training for students, faculty, and staff.
The college has also added resources regarding Title VI, Title XI, and Civil Rights Concerns, and Institutional Policy on Civil Rights and Anti-Bias Standards to its website. The email about the settlement from Wendy Raymond and the Press Release from the Deborah Project. The college has also filled the roles of Director of Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator and Director of Interfaith Life and Practice. The college has also committed to joining the Hillel’s Campus Climate Initiative (CCI), which is an organization that assesses data and implements policies and procedures on college campuses to improve campus climates for Jewish students.
In response to a request for comment on the settlement from the Haverford administration, the president’s office said the following:
“As part of the settlement agreement, the College will undertake several important actions to combat antisemitism on campus, further building on measures it has implemented over the past several years. Earlier today, the Deborah Project issued a press release outlining key elements of the agreement. Additional information and resources will also be posted to the Haverford website in the coming days.
… the plaintiffs’ Title VI discrimination claims had been previously dismissed twice by the court, leaving a surviving claim for breach of contract. As a result of the settlement, the court has now dismissed all claims asserted by plaintiffs against Haverford College, with prejudice.”
The President’s office declined further comment.
