Harvard graduates sue university, saying ‘rampant antisemitism’ has devalued their diplomas

BOSTON — A group of Harvard alumni has sued the university, arguing that the “rampant antisemitism on campus and in classrooms” has devalued their prestigious diplomas.

Harvard has not adequately addressed antisemitism, the grads allege in the federal lawsuit — which has damaged their alma mater’s reputation and “made a mockery out of Harvard graduates in the employment world and beyond.”

The 10 alums filed the suit in Massachusetts U.S. District Court this week following months of chaos and division on the Cambridge campus amid the Israel-Hamas war. Just this week, Harvard pro-Palestine groups were under fire for posting an antisemitic cartoon.

Last month, a group of Jewish students sued Harvard over “severe and pervasive” antisemitism on campus, claiming that Harvard has not done nearly enough to protect Jewish students since Hamas’ terrorist attacks. Antisemitic incidents have been reported across the Cambridge campus.

“Over the last years and especially in recent months, Harvard has despicably failed to address, prevent, and rectify the prevalence of antisemitism, hate, and discrimination on its campus,” the Harvard grads’ lawsuit reads this week. “… Harvard has done nothing to address and halt this egregiousness and stop the rampant antisemitism on campus and in classrooms.”

Some businesses, companies, and law firms have vowed that they will no longer hire from Harvard in the wake of the antisemitism on campus.

“Harvard breached and continues to breach its contractual obligation to Plaintiffs by failing to adequately address antisemitism on its campus,” the lawsuit reads.

“Harvard has directly caused the value and prestige of Plaintiffs’ Harvard degrees to be diminished and made a mockery out of Harvard graduates in the employment world and beyond,” the lawsuit states. “The value of a Harvard degree is measured by the university’s standing today and not judged by the year in which an applicant for a job graduated.”

The grads are calling for Harvard to fire deans, administrators, professors, and other employees who have failed to respond to antisemitism.

The alums also want the university to suspend or expel the students participating in hate speech and antisemitic conduct.

“This is a civil action brought by Harvard alumni requesting an injunction ordering Harvard to take concrete and affirmative steps to end antisemitism on its campus and hold accountable those who allowed antisemitism to fester and seeking restitution for the devaluation of their Harvard degrees caused by Harvard’s abject failure to address its antisemitism problem,” the lawsuit states.

“Plaintiffs also seek restitution for the financial costs associated with having attended Harvard and compensatory damages for the reputational damage to and thus reduced value of their Harvard degrees,” the lawsuit reads. “Plaintiffs also seek punitive damages to address the systemic failure of the institution to provide an environment free of discrimination and prejudice.”

A spokesperson for Harvard declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Claudine Gay resigned last month as Harvard’s president following her controversial comments in front of Congress about antisemitism on campus, and in the wake of plagiarism allegations. Gay testified that protesters’ calls for the genocide of the Jewish people do not necessarily violate Harvard’s policies.