Northwestern University faces a significant legal challenge as a group of students and their advocates have filed a class-action lawsuit accusing the institution of violating civil rights by stifling Palestinian advocacy on campus. The complaint, filed by Northwestern Graduate Workers for Palestine, Ifeayin Eziamaka Ogbuli, and Marwa Tahboub in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on October 15, 2025, alleges that Northwestern University has enacted discriminatory policies under the guise of combating antisemitism.
The plaintiffs claim that Northwestern University’s policies infringe upon Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. They argue that these policies unjustly target expressions of Palestinian identity and culture while silencing those who support Palestinian self-determination. The university is accused of enforcing these measures through unequal application of student conduct policies and incorporating a controversial definition of antisemitism into its broader discrimination policies. The plaintiffs assert that this approach discriminates against Palestinian and Arab students by branding their ethnic identities and advocacy efforts as antisemitic.
According to the lawsuit, Northwestern’s administration has implemented measures such as mandatory training courses featuring videos created with organizations aiming to suppress criticism of Israel. These courses equate anti-Zionist sentiments with antisemitic rhetoric, allegedly forcing students to agree to disciplinary policies that restrict free speech. Students who refuse to comply face registration holds or even termination from their academic programs.
The plaintiffs are seeking declaratory relief to deem Northwestern’s use of certain definitions and training programs unlawful. They also request injunctive relief to prevent further enforcement of these measures, alongside damages for emotional distress caused by what they describe as discriminatory practices. The lawsuit highlights instances where campus police were deployed against peaceful student protests in solidarity with Palestinians, while counter-protesters faced no repercussions for harassment.
Represented by attorneys Rima Kapitan, M. Nieves Bolaños, Patrick Cowlin, Christina Abraham, Yusra Gomaa, and Hannah Moser from Kapitan Gomaa Law P.C., Hawks Quindel S.C., and CAIR-Chicago respectively, the plaintiffs aim to challenge what they perceive as an institutional bias against pro-Palestinian activism at Northwestern University. The case is presided over under Case ID: 1:25-cv-12614.
