Northwestern University must face Palestinian law grad's discrimination suit
May 13 (Reuters) - A former Northwestern law student can proceed with a discrimination lawsuit that claims the school failed to protect her from being harassed over her pro-Palestine activism, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.
Plaintiff Yasmeen Elagha in November sued Northwestern and several law school officials, including law dean Hari Osofsky, alleging she was discriminated against and subjected to a hostile educational environment.
Elagha, who is a Palestinian Muslim, said university officials failed to intervene after fellow students falsely claimed she attacked them during a campus protest. She also alleged that students released her personal information online and got her job offer at a major law firm rescinded.
U.S. District Judge Charles Kocoras in Chicago dismissed Elagha's claim of a hostile educational environment, but allowed her claim of intentional discrimination to proceed after Northwestern filed a motion to dismiss the case.
Other universities are also facing lawsuits alleging discrimination against pro-Palestinian students, as campus tensions have escalated over the war in Gaza, including at the University of California at Los Angeles and Columbia University.
Elagha's allegations that she made multiple harassment complaints, which the defendants failed to respond, permitted "an inference of intentional discrimination," Kocoras wrote in his opinion, opens new tab.
A Northwestern University spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Attorney Ahmad Zaher, who is representing Elagha, said he and his client are "confident in the strength of the remaining issues."
Elagha, who graduated from Northwestern Law in May 2024, claimed that she and other students asked the university to intervene after they were harassed and threatened during a pro-Palestine campus protest in November 2023 but that the university took no action. She asked the university in 2022 to issue a no-contact directive against another student who had targeted her but was denied, she claimed.
Law firm DLA Piper rescinded her job offer after a fellow law student falsely claimed Elagha assaulted her during a protest, according to the suit. Subsequent internal university review concluded that no assault took place, according to the lawsuit.
When the Illinois Board of Law Admissions requested additional information about the protest incident, Northwestern law officials took at least two weeks to issue a letter saying Elagha had been cleared of wrongdoing, according to her suit.
Read more:
US House drops probe for data from university over pro-Palestinian protestor cases
Northwestern law school sued for discrimination against white men in faculty hiring
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
National Guard troops have temporarily detained civilians in LA protests, commander says
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Harris Yulin dead at 88: Ghostbusters II and Scarface star passes as cause of death is revealed
Harris Yulin - who was known for his work on films Ghostbusters II and Scarface - has died at 88. The talented actor of stage and screen died of cardiac arrest in New York on Tuesday. His death was announced by his family and manager Sue Leibman. In Ghostbusters II (1989) he portrayed Judge Stephen Wexler who famously presided over the case involving the ghost fighting group. In Scarface (1983) he starred as Mel Bernstein who was a corrupt Miami Police Detective on the payroll of drug lord Frank Lopez (Robert Loggia) who attempts to extort Tony Montana (Al Pacino).
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Defense rests case in second trial of Karen Read for Boston police officer boyfriend's death
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference.
