An undergraduate student and former student-employee of Toronto Metropolitan University has filed a lawsuit against the school, claiming “pervasive antisemitism.”
The student, Nicole Szweras, has Israeli citizenship and her mother was born there, according to the statement.
“Israel is a fundamental part of her Jewish identity, like so many Jewish people throughout the world,” the court document says.
While listing several complaints to make the case that the school has been inactive in the face of anti-Semitic actions on campus, the claim says TMU has a contractual obligation to provide a safe space for students to complete their studies.
“TMU’s failure to apply, or its inadequate application of, its own policies and procedures expressly prohibiting such conduct has led to a poisoned antisemitic learning and working environment for the Plaintiff,” the document says. “TMU’s actions and inaction have breached duties of care owing to, breached its contract with, and have discriminated against the Plaintiff.”
The Epoch Times reached out to TMU but did not hear back by publication time.
TMU is not the first university to face legal challenges to perceived on-campus anti-Semitism.
Concerns on Campus
Some of the concerns raised by Ms. Szweras include inflammatory social media posts and events by TMU groups and organizations funded by the student union.The document notes that the school issued two statements in the weeks following the Hamas attack, saying there would be no tolerance of anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim rhetoric or racism but failed to define what that entailed.
“It quickly became apparent that such statements were simply token platitudes that were not acted upon, ineffectually acted upon, or unequally acted upon by TMU,” the statement said.
Ms. Szweras said that some anti-Semitic slogans became commonplace around the school, including “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and the use of the word “Intifada.”
“TMU is fully aware that these Antisemitic Violence-Inciting Slogans are repeated by TMU community members in rallies, posters, signs, and graffiti throughout TMU and in TMU buildings,” the court document said, claiming that “no meaningful or effective actions have been taken by TMU” regarding the slogans since Oct. 7, 2023.
The lawsuit includes examples of letters signed by students or staff that, among other things, claim Israel has no right to exist, and stand in solidarity with “all forms of resistance,” including the Oct. 7 attack. Jewish students also expressed concern over a law professor at the school who “berated the State of Israel, to the point that several Jewish students left the class in tears.”
Ms. Szweras claims in her lawsuit that TMU has done nothing to curb these actions on campus.
In one instance, a military-style knife was left on the lectern of a Jewish contract lecturer, the statement of claim says. TMU’s alleged inaction led to the instructor requesting not to hold in-person classes and exams.
Ms. Szweras said when she and others held a silent protest, called the Silent Protest for Peace & Humanity on campus, they were surrounded by other students who attempted to intimidate them, while security did nothing to stop the behaviour.
“One of the accosting TMU students was heard saying ‘next time on campus you won’t be together’ – a clear threat to the participants’ safety,” the statement of claim says.
“TMU security was needed to escort Nikki [Nicole Szweras] and the other participating students to the Hillel office while the harassing TMU students followed.”
“Without such update to the TMU community, Nikki and other Jewish TMU community members she is aware of were left with the continued unmistakable impression that no action was to be taken by TMU in this regard other than mere platitudes.”
The document says that the lack of follow-up has “fostered an atmosphere of antisemitism and fear” for Jewish TMU community members.
Other examples listed in the claim include a rally in March 2024 where TMU students were walking around campus with signs that said “Zionism Off Our Campus.”
The statement says Ms. Szweras and other Jewish members at TMU saw this as a call for Jews to be removed from campus, and are unaware of any action TMU took with regard to the incident.
“This incident deeply affected Nikki, leading her to question her place in the world that tolerates this rhetoric,” the statement of claim said.
Trouble With Co-workers
Additionally, Ms. Szweras had been employed at the school since 2022, but says in the court document that the atmosphere changed after Oct. 7, 2023.“Student-Staff interactions with Nikki turned cold and unwelcoming as compared to their prior interactions,” she wrote in the statement of claim.
She said that when political statements were posted in the workplace, Ms.Szweras and her friends felt “ostracized” and eventually, “Student-Staff simply ignored Nikki altogether.”
Around Nov. 16, 2023, a defamatory email about Ms. Szweras was circulated among other student-staff in the area where she worked, the document says. However, it was not emailed to her directly, her statement says.
“Nikki had to ask TMU about the complaint as TMU did not advise her of it. In response, TMU advised Nikki that they were investigating the complaint, but TMU refused (at any point in time) to tell Nikki what the substance of the allegations in the complaint were – violating the TMU Conduct Policies.”
The situation made Ms. Szweras uncomfortable and she told TMU, who said she did not have to return to work and they would still pay her, the statement says.
She later saw a social media post celebrating the individual who sent the complaint email as “best employee,” the statement says.
TMU wrote to Ms. Szweras on Dec. 6, 2023, indicating it had determined the incident was one of differing political views between co-workers, according to the document.
“Nikki was surprised because at no time had TMU ever asked Nikki what her political opinions were or told Nikki how TMU surmised what her opinions were. Again, actions or opinions were being projected on to Nikki because she is Jewish – this time by TMU.”
She raised these concerns during a Dec. 11 meeting with TMU staff, but said that no action was taken by the university.
In January 2024, following the December break from school, Ms. Szweras noticed that she was not scheduled to work, but other co-workers had been scheduled, the statement says. She said that she then had her access to the online work schedule revoked.
As a result of her experience, Ms. Szweras says in her claim that she gets anxious when she has to go to campus and tries to avoid it. She also says her academic work has suffered, and she takes care not to wear or display any Israeli-identifying objects, including removing stickers from her laptop.
“The environment and the incidents described above have had a profoundly negative impact on Nikki’s dignity, mental health, and wellbeing,” the statement says.
