(Reuters) – Harvard University has agreed to provide additional protections for Jewish students to settle two lawsuits accusing the Ivy League school of becoming a hotbed of rampant antisemitism.
Under a settlement announced on Tuesday, Harvard will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism when evaluating whether alleged discrimination or harassment violates the university’s non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies.
Harvard will also post online a Frequently Asked Questions document related to those policies, report annually for five years on its responses to discrimination or harassment, and provide expert training on combating antisemitism to staff who review discrimination complaints.
Both lawsuits accused Harvard of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars federal funds recipients from allowing discrimination based on race, religion and national origin.
The lawsuits were among many accusing major universities of encouraging antisemitism after war broke out in Gaza in October 2023 between Israel and Hamas.
Both settlements include unspecified monetary terms. Harvard did not admit wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)
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