New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the City University of New York (CUNY) to implement 13 actions recommended in a comprehensive report prepared in response to widespread antisemitic activity that had been increasing on its campuses even before the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

“My top priority as governor has always been to ensure the safety and security of every New Yorker, and right now, too many students at our colleges and universities do not feel safe,” said Hochul in a statement. “Let me be clear: we will not tolerate threats of antisemitism or hate of any kind. Every New Yorker must be free to live, learn and worship without fear of harassment or violence.”

The report was prepared by Jonathan Lippmann, New York’s former chief judge, and a team from the Latham & Watkins law firm. It found that the surge of incidents at the 25 CUNY campuses across the city could be tied to a number of factors.

“CUNY’s current system of handling complaints regarding antisemitism, discrimination and retaliation is ineffective and needs to be completely overhauled,” the report said. “CUNY’s current policies and procedures are in many respects outdated and potential sources of confusion.”

Over the last approximately two years CUNY Jewish students and staff have been harassed and threatened by pro-Palestinian groups, resulting in legal actions and a hearing by the New York City Council. Six professors — five of whom are Jewish — who are seeking to overturn the “exclusive representation” required under New York’s Taylor Law, have petitioned the Supreme Court, claiming their union, the Professional Staff Congress, “hates them” because it is “antisemitic, anti-Jewish and anti-Israel.”

This summer CUNY reached a settlement with the federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act for six incidents of antisemitism on five CUNY campuses as well as civil rights violations by its central office. As a result, the university’s board of trustees voted to create the Center for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging to foster understanding, oversee training and strengthen reporting and policy.

In the 146-page report Lippman himself cited the “alarming number of unacceptable antisemitic incidents.” He cited as an example an incident last month where a “disturbing video” showed protesters harassing Jewish Baruch College freshmen who were attending a welcome event sponsored by Hillel at a local kosher restaurant. The disruption was reportedly organized in part by the college’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and protestors “cruelly” taunted the students about the murder of six hostages by Hamas terrorists in Gaza and also appeared to threaten the Jewish students with violence, using antisemitic tropes.

The report noted there was much blame to be spread around for the often mishandled and inadequate mismanagement of the growing antisemitic threats and violence at CUNY. However, it also said the majority of CUNY’s 225,000 students were primarily focused on education and not involved in the rhetoric surrounding the pro-Palestinian, and often antisemitic incidents.

“Of particular note, the protesters appear to have couched some of their deplorable attacks in anti-Zionist rhetoric, which only confirms a point I make in my report — that anti-Zionism can constitute antisemitism,” wrote Lippman, himself a CUNY graduate, in the report. Among the recommendations outlined in the report are:

• CUNY must better address the use of social media following repeated instances of groups using CUNY accounts to “advance inappropriate hate speech.” Lippmann called CUNY’s social media policies “woefully dated” and said it needed to make clear the consequences of violating those policies.
• Some CUNY students do not feel safe on campus because they were forced to walk through active protests to attend classes. Lippman wrote that CUNY must strengthen its “time, place and manner” restrictions for protests, which he said would also protect the rights of students who peacefully protest.
• CUNY must respect the First Amendment rights of faculty and students but hold accountable those who engage in antisemitism. Lippmann called on CUNY to draft a policy on free speech and expressive conduct.
• Centralize resources for dealing with discrimination by creating a university-wide center to address antisemitism and other forms of hate and instituting an internal antisemitism and hate monitor.
• Ensure all those at CUNY, including campus leadership and chief diversity officers, use the law as a guide when handling incidents of antisemitism on campus, regardless of personal views of what constitutes antisemitism.
• Use the principles of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as a guide to help determine what may constitute antisemitism, in line with Hochul’s 2022 proclamation identifying the IHRA definition as a valuable tool.

In a statement, CUNY said it “welcomed” an independent third-party review and said it is working to increase centralization of resources for dealing with antisemitism and discrimination, redesign the university-wide discrimination and retaliation reporting portal and increase coordination with law enforcement/public safety to protect everyone on its campuses.

“I appreciate the work of Judge Lippman and his team in preparing this review and recommendations and thank Gov. Hochul for her unwavering commitment to higher education and collaboration in keeping our campuses safe,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez in a statement. “Amid a rising tide of antisemitism nationwide, CUNY has already taken critical steps to combat hate and discrimination. Recognizing there is always more to do, we look forward to working on implementing Judge Lippman’s recommendations to redouble our efforts and build on our progress to create a more inclusive campus environment for students, faculty and staff.”

Debra Rubin has had a long career in journalism writing for secular weekly and daily newspapers and Jewish publications. She most recently served as Middlesex/Monmouth bureau chief for the New Jersey Jewish News. She also worked with the media at several nonprofits, including serving as assistant public relations director of HIAS and assistant director of media relations at Yeshiva University.