NEW
YORK, Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kasowitz
Benson Torres, on behalf of Jewish students at Harvard University and non-profit membership
organization Students Against Antisemitism, Inc., has defeated
Harvard's motion to dismiss their
claims for violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and
breach of contract arising from the antisemitic hostile educational
environment generated by Harvard's
deliberate indifference to harassment and discrimination against
Jewish students by pro-Hamas demonstrators on its campus.
Plaintiffs' claims now proceed to discovery.
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In denying the motion, Judge Richard G.
Stearns, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, ruled that the complaint
documents "Harvard's failure to address
what former President Gay and Interim President Garber repeatedly
publicly recognized as an eruption of antisemitism on the Harvard
Campus," including Harvard's failure to
comply with its Title VI obligations and its contractual promises
to protect Jewish students against harassment and discrimination.
Marc E. Kasowitz stated: "We
are gratified that the Court has upheld our clients' civil rights
claims against Harvard, finding that
the 'facts as pled show that Harvard
failed its Jewish students' and that Harvard's 'virtuous public declarations…proved
hollow when it came to taking disciplinary measures against
offending students and faculty.' We intend to continue to
take all necessary and appropriate steps to protect Harvard's Jewish students, the first step being
discovery of Harvard's internal files
and communications to prove the full nature and extent of
Harvard's failures."
The Kasowitz Benson Torres team representing the students is led
by partners Marc E. Kasowitz,
Daniel R. Benson, Mark P. Ressler, Andrew
L. Schwartz, and Joshua E.
Roberts, and includes associates Andrew C. Bernstein, Jillian R. Roffer, Emily
Lowe, William Wolfe Taub,
Zachary N. Josephs, Brittany F. Alzfan, Yarden N. Hodes, Erin
Ringel, Paulina Flores
Elizondo, and Alfredo J. Fernández Torres.
About Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP
Kasowitz Benson
Torres LLP is a leading national law firm with a core focus on
commercial litigation, complemented by exceptionally strong
bankruptcy/restructuring, employment, and real estate transactional
practices. Kasowitz is known for its creative, aggressive
litigators and willingness to take on tough cases. The firm
has extensive trial experience and is always trial-ready,
representing both plaintiffs and defendants in every area of
litigation. Kasowitz is committed to pursuing aggressive and
innovative approaches to its clients' most challenging legal
matters. Headquartered in New York
City, the firm also has offices in Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami,
Newark, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. For more information, please
visit www.kasowitz.com.
Press Contact: Shannon O'Reilly,
soreilly@kasowitz.com
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SOURCE Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP