Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Judge Lets Northwestern Enforce Antibias Training as CAIR-Backed Suit Proceeds

Plaintiffs say a required JUF antisemitism video plus IHRA-based rules discriminate against Palestinian and Arab students.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Georgia N. Alexakis denied a temporary restraining order, leaving Northwestern free to discipline students who refuse the online training.
  • University attorneys said 16 students had not completed the module, risking immediate registration holds and potential loss of student status, benefits, and access.
  • The required course, introduced in February, includes a JUF-produced video on antisemitism and states that criticism of Israeli government policies is not inherently antisemitic.
  • CAIR’s Title VI lawsuit seeks class status, an end to Northwestern’s use of the IHRA definition, and damages, arguing the program suppresses Palestinian identity and advocacy.
  • Northwestern, under federal investigations with roughly $790 million in funding frozen earlier this year, says the training aims to prevent harassment and does not require viewpoint endorsement.