Court ruling downplays attack on Jewish alumnus even as Harvard collapses under scrutiny for antisemitism.
A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled last week that Harvard Business School graduate Yoav Segev failed to prove he experienced “severe and pervasive racial harassment,” dismissing his lawsuit accusing Harvard University of enabling an anti-Jewish assault on campus. Segev had alleged he was attacked for being Jewish while filming an anti-Israel “die-in” protest in October 2023—just days after Hamas terrorists massacred Israeli civilians.
Judge Richard Stearns concluded that Segev did not provide sufficient evidence that the attack was antisemitic, suggesting instead that the aggression may have been “political disagreement.” He downplayed Segev’s visible blue pro-Israel bracelet, writing that protesters may not have recognized its meaning—an argument critics say reflects the growing judicial hesitancy to acknowledge anti-Jewish hatred even as campus hostility surges.
Stearns further dismissed Segev’s claims that Harvard protected his attackers or obstructed the investigation, asserting that the university never promised specific disciplinary actions. His ruling comes despite widespread criticism of Harvard’s handling of antisemitism, which intensified after administrators failed to condemn anti-Israel demonstrations held in the wake of Hamas’s atrocities.
Harvard’s leadership is now facing far more serious consequences from the federal government. The Trump administration froze over $2 billion in research grants and moved to strip the university of its tax-exempt status, citing rampant antisemitism and institutional negligence. Harvard retaliated with a lawsuit, arguing the freeze violated the First Amendment and due process—a claim US District Judge Allison D. Burroughs later accepted.
Still, pressure mounted. Negotiations are now approaching conclusion, according to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, with nearly $3 billion in frozen funding tied to corrective measures. Her comments followed President Trump’s announcement that Harvard agreed to pay $500 million and operate trade schools as part of a broader accountability deal—an unprecedented blow to an institution that long ignored rising hostility against Jewish students.
