FOX 32: Students claim Northwestern antisemitism training mandate violates civil rights in lawsuit
By Joanie Lum and Alex Ortiz | Published October 20, 2025 3:51pm CDT
Northwestern students claim antisemitism training is discriminatory in lawsuit
Students at Northwestern University sued the school over required antisemitism training that they argue is unfair to Palestinians and violates the Civil Rights Act.
The Brief
Students at Northwestern University sued the school over required antisemitism training they say violates their civil rights.
The plaintiffs argue the training silences criticism of Israel and discriminates against Palestinian and Arab students.
Multiple students have been blocked from registering for classes because they have refused to complete the training out of protest.
EVANSTON, Ill. - Students at Northwestern University sued the school over required antisemitism training that they argue is unfair to Palestinians and violates the Civil Rights Act.
The lawsuit was filed last week in federal court by a group called Northwestern Graduate Workers for Palestine and other individual students.
A judge on Monday denied a request by the students for a temporary restraining order.
What we know: The students claim that antisemitism training required by Northwestern silences criticism of Israel and that the school coerces students to complete the training by blocking those who don’t complete it from registering for classes.
About three dozen students have refused to complete the training for "moral, political, and/or identify-based grounds," according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs argued that Northwestern "does not police the identities of other ethnic or racial groups in this manner." They argued the school's policies discriminate against Palestinian and other Arab students by branding their identities and advocacy for their groups as antisemitic.
In a previous statement, a Northwestern spokesperson said in a statement students are required to complete other annual training about discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. They said if students choose not to complete the training, that would result in "university action, including a registration hold."
The statement continued, "Students are not required to agree with the training modules but must attest that they will abide by the Student Code of Conduct, as well as the University’s policy on Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct."
The backstory: The contention over antisemitism at Northwestern and other schools around the country stems from protests over the last two years against Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza that’s led to the deaths of more than 65,000 Palestinians in the enclave.
The war was sparked by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and around 200 were taken hostage.
The two sides agreed to the "first phase" of a ceasefire deal earlier this month which resulted in the turning over of the remaining living Israeli hostages.
In response to the student-led protests and claims of antisemitic activity on campus, Northwestern has been under federal scrutiny. Northwestern’s former president Michael Schill testified multiple times before a GOP-led Congressional committee about the university’s efforts to combat antisemitism.