Harvard Settles Antisemitism Lawsuit Filed by Jewish Student

Shabbos Kestenbaum, an Orthodox Jewish student, has reached an undisclosed settlement with Harvard University to resolve a contentious lawsuit alleging that the Ivy League school failed to combat antisemitism on its campus.

Kestenbaum, who is a 2024 graduate of Harvard Divinity School and is now a prominent conservative voice, was the last plaintiff left in a lawsuit filed by Students Against Antisemitism. All other plaintiffs exited their lawsuits when they settled. Kestenbaum held on until Thursday when he and the defendants filed a joint notice of dismissal in Boston federal court.

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Harvard and Kestenbaum stated together that they appreciate and acknowledge each other’s efforts to combat antisemitism at Harvard and elsewhere, and are pleased with the outcome of this settlement. The settlement comes after the university faced months of legal and political pressure, including a hold by the Trump administration of over $2.6 billion of federal research funding, claiming alleged failure on Harvard’s part to protect Jewish students.

Kestenbaum became a visible figure in the national conversation about campus antisemitism, appearing at the 2024 Republican National Convention, advocating for better protections for Jewish students and a subsequent lawsuit brought awareness to the claim that Harvard fostered a hostile environment that allowed Jewish students be called murderers and faculty utilizing antisemitic language and rhetoric.

Kestenbaum and five other students originally sued in January 2024 but while the other students accepted a settlement containing policy reforms and agreed to a stringent definition of antisemitism, Kestenbaum continued his case alone.

After the settlement, he said he was proud to help lead the fight against antisemitism and praised the legal battle for bringing national attention to the problem. The resolution represents an important moment in the overall discussion about free speech, campus activism activities and institutional responsibility.