Complaint Alleges Harvard Failed to Protect Pro-Palestinian Students from Threats

By Kanishka Singh

Over a dozen students have claimed that Harvard University did not adequately protect them from harassment and threats related to their pro-Palestinian identity, according to a group representing them.

The Muslim Legal Fund of America announced that its legal division filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on behalf of these students. The complaint calls for an investigation into the university’s actions.

Rights advocates have expressed concern over a surge in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian sentiment, and antisemitism in the United States since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East. Incidents such as a shooting in Vermont involving three students of Palestinian descent and the fatal stabbing of a six-year-old Palestinian American child in Illinois have heightened these concerns.

The students allege they experienced “harassment, intimidation, threats, and more” due to their identities as Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and supporters of Palestinian rights. They reported diverse forms of abuse, including racist attacks, doxxing, stalking, and assaults, particularly when wearing keffiyehs, the traditional Palestinian scarves.

A Harvard spokesperson noted they could not comment on the specific complaint but indicated that the university has resources to support students, including a recently announced task force aimed at addressing Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Tensions have been palpable at Harvard and other U.S. colleges following the events of October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, leading to a severe military response in Gaza. Amidst this turmoil, Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard, facing backlash over her statements regarding antisemitism. During congressional testimony, she and two other university presidents refrained from definitively stating whether calls for violence against Jews would breach conduct codes, citing the need to balance such issues with free speech considerations.

According to the Muslim Legal Fund of America, some students claim that the university has threatened to “limit or retract” their future academic opportunities.

The affected students belong to various schools within Harvard, including Harvard College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Divinity School, and the Law School. Some have family members living in Gaza, where local health authorities report over 26,000 deaths since Israel initiated its military operations in response to the October 7 attack that claimed 1,200 lives, according to Israeli sources.