Title VI case proceeds on antisemitism claim

Yes, you read that right—Title VI, not Title VII. What is Title VI? It was passed as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 along with Title VII and prohibits discrimination based on actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics. Title VI covers any entity or program receiving federal financial assistance. It was highlighted in recent lawsuits by Jewish students at universities claiming a hostile environment because of their shared ethnicity or ancestry—being Jewish. Employers concerned with Title VII have much to learn from this sister section of the Civil Rights Act.

October 7, 2023, attack

This was the date of the brutal terrorist attack on Israel. Antisemitism and anti-Israel agitation—as you might recall from the news—surged at schools of higher education across the United States, including Harvard University, which was sued under Title VI by some of its Jewish students. The trial court refused to dismiss the claims. Here are two of several claims made in the lawsuit: