Hunter Faculty has devolved right into a “hostile work environment” for Jews over its administration’s refusal to crack down on antisemitic protests, the CUNY faculty’s Jewish research director alleged in a fiery federal swimsuit.
Leah Garrett, who heads the varsity’s Jewish Research Middle, ripped the general public college’s leaders for turning a blind eye to antisemitic demonstrations throughout its Higher East Aspect campus within the aftermath of Oct. 7 — together with permitting college students to brandish posters with blood dripping from a Star of David and demanding Zionists be expelled, in line with the swimsuit filed in Manhattan federal courtroom Tuesday.
“After Oct. 7, I was horrified and distraught to see that immediately on the campus of Hunter, there was a pervasive and compelling and constant series of anti-semitic things that I had to deal with, that my students had to deal with, that my faculty had to deal with,” Garrett instructed The Publish.
“The administration was doing literally nothing to stop it,” she added.
In November 2023, the management at Hunter Faculty dragged their heels for hours after Garrett begged them to cowl up swastikas drawn on Israeli hostage posters round campus, claiming their arms have been tied over bureaucratic and authorized causes, in line with the swimsuit.
Months later, CUNY leaders failed to handle the professor’s security considerations after an anti-Israel pupil group on the school printed the professor’s photograph on social media, and not less than one pupil emailed her an antisemitic message claiming Satanists have been “more moral” than Jews, the grievance learn.
Garrett, who was employed by Hunter Faculty in 2018 and earned $172,710 in fiscal 12 months 2023, “was left to navigate an increasingly hostile work environment and forced to shoulder the additional burden of acting as the sole academic advocate for Jewish students and faculty,” in line with courtroom data.
CUNY violated Garrett’s civil rights and violated her contract by permitting antisemitism to run rampant on campus, along with appearing negligently, in line with the grievance.
“Hopefully, this lawsuit will shine a bright light on yet another CUNY dumpster fire,” stated Metropolis Councilman Kalman Yeger (D-Brooklyn), who lately co-authored a scathing letter to CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez calling for a probe into an anti-Israel professor who allegedly helped manage a harmful rally at Metropolis Faculty in April.
Garrett is looking for damages, with the quantity to be decided at trial, and is being represented by the Lawfare Challenge and the agency Alston & Chicken.
A Hunter Faculty spokesperson declined to touch upon pending ligation, however stated the varsity “has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate of any kind.”
