Jewish Student Files Federal Lawsuit Against UNLV, Alleges 'Unchecked Spread of Anti-Semitism' - Nevada Globe (2024)

28 May 202410:19 am

Plaintiff Cory Gerwaski, an observant jewish student at University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) has filed a federal lawsuit (see below) against the university, Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), UNLV President Keith Whitfield, and a variety of student groups alleging that the ‘”unchecked spread of antisemitism” has caused him pain and suffering.

The suit, brought by Attorneys Sigal Chattah and Joey Gilbert, details the background of four pro-Palestinian student groups on the UNLV campus that have coordinated campus protests since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.

The federal filing notes:

This suit targets the longstanding, unchecked spread of antisemitism at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, which, following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, has erupted in on-campus displays of hatred, harassment, and physical violence against Jewish students on campus, and and more specifically Plaintiff herein.

Upon information and belief, United States’ student and non-student organizations have been infiltrated as proxies for foreign terrorist organizations to wreak havoc on U.S. college campuses and destabilize the United States’ domestic tranquility.

It is also clear that there is a large deeply intertwined network of pro-Hamas organizations in the United States, who have anchored themselves onto college campuses across the Nation…

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The mobilization of thousands of students across the United States campuses, on directive of Foreign Terrorists Organizations was not only happening in plain sight, it was happening through coordination of antisemitic and anti-American organizations existing and doing business in the United States.

The student groups named as “proxies for foreign terrorist organizations’ are also named as defendants and include the AJP Educational Foundation, Inc. a/k/a American Muslims for Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine- UNLV, National Students for Justice in Palestine, and Nevadans for Palestinian Liberation.

Gerwaski alleges that he was “asked inappropriate questions about his Jewish heritage and sexual orientation as part of an ‘onboarding program’ when he began working” at the Lied Library on campus starting last summer. “Many members of the student government are pro-Palestine and have verbally attacked and treated him poorly due to his identity as a kippa-wearing Jew” and further alleges that protests over the war in Gaza led to harassment and bullying and constituted violations of his constitutional rights.”

The lawsuit contends Gerwarski experienced “unjust termination, harassment, antisemitism, and retaliation, primarily involving members of the University’s Administration and student government.”

Gerwaski alleges that he faced numerous acts of discrimination and hostility, primarily from Associate Director of Student Government and Activities Marni Dow (she/her/ella) who has exihibited hostility towards him because he is a “conservative jew.”

In March, UNLV campus police were summoned after Palestinian activists silenced a Jewish lecturer invited to speak on black holes and physics. Campus police cited the First Amendment as cause to not remove the activists, even though the protestors violated school policy. In April, Palestinian protestors at UNLV chose Passover as the day to call for the genocide of Jews.

The incident has yet to be addressed by the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) who recently adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Definition of Antisemitism for use in anti-bias and anti-discrimination education and training for all colleges and universities in Nevada. NSHE is the “first to adopt the measure rather than doing so through legislative decree or gubernatorial order.”

This month in a letter to campus leadership, President Whitfield said the university wouldn’t tolerate any violations of its policy on speech and advocacy.

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