Northwestern Students Sue Over Mandatory Antisemitism Training Alleging Civil Rights Violations

Northwestern University is facing a class-action lawsuit filed by graduate students and the Northwestern Graduate Workers for Palestine, challenging a mandatory antisemitism training they argue unfairly targets pro-Palestinian activism and violates the Civil Rights Act. The students claim the training equates criticism of Israel or Zionism with antisemitism, effectively silencing Palestinian and Arab students and imposing ethnic and political conformity. A federal judge declined to grant a temporary restraining order to block the university from disciplining students who refuse the training, noting that the university requires only that students watch the training, not endorse its content. Students who refuse to complete the training face significant penalties such as registration holds, loss of funding, and health insurance, which the plaintiffs say causes irreparable harm to their academic progress. Northwestern defends the training as a tool to foster a welcoming campus environment, asserting that disciplinary actions target only speech qualifying as discrimination or harassment. The lawsuit continues as students and their legal representatives prepare to present a more detailed record challenging the university's approach.