2 Jewish students sue DePaul University for negligence after antisemitic attack on campus
Two Jewish students have filed a lawsuit against DePaul University, accusing the school of failing to protect them from what police called a hate crime on campus last November.
In a lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court, Max Long and Michael Kaminsky said they were outside the Student Center on the school's Lincoln Park campus on Nov. 6, 2024, when two masked attackers punched them as they were showing support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
"I never imagined that being a proud Zionist would make me a target at my university," Long said.
The lawsuit claims a DePaul public safety officer stationed just 10 feet away at the time did not intervene when Long and Kaminsky were attacked.
"At that point, a different Public Safety Officer stopped one of the assailants, but then inexplicably let him go," the lawsuit claims.
Long, a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces, was leading a campus discussion about the war between Israel and Hamas at the time, when two masked men began beating him, causing a concussion, according to the lawsuit. Kaminsky, a founding member of the DePaul chapter of Students Standing with Israel, stepped in to help Long, and suffered an injury to his wrist that required surgery.
Chicago police have said the attackers shouted antisemitic remarks before attacking Long and Kaminsky and running off.
"I shouldn't feel more vulnerable in a classroom in Chicago than I did in a combat zone," Long said. "DePaul has failed me, not just as a student but as a human being. Universities are supposed to be places of information, safety, and dialogue; but instead they've become platforms for fear, mob rule, and censorship."
Long said he was serving in the IDF in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people, and taking more than 250 others hostage.
"I was doing my duty to protect my people and defend my homeland," he said.
Last November, Long said he was speaking to classmates about Israel's efforts to defend itself since that Hamas attack, when he and Kaminsky were attacked by two people wearing masks.
"He was ambushed from behind by two masked assailants, who beat him with such force that he suffered a concussion; and when Michael stepped in to help Max during the attack, while DePaul public safety officers stood idly by and watched, the assailants turned their attention to him, resulting in an injury to Michael's wrist that required surgery," said his attorney, Jaclyn Clark.
The students' lawsuit accuses DePaul of failing to protect them.
"DePaul University has done nothing to put a stop to this harassment, nor have they made any genuine effort since the attack to ensure the safety of their Jewish students moving forward," Clark said.
Long and Kaminsky claim the university was aware of growing complaints of antisemitism on campus ever since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, but didn't do enough to protect them from the attack.
The lawsuit claims Long had complained to the university about being harassed and threatened at prior campus discussions about the war between Israel and Hamas. The lawsuit also notes that a pro-Palestinian encampment that had been set up for more than two weeks in May 2024 led to more than 1,000 total complaints, including 34 reports of antisemitism, four credible threats of violence, and at least one death threat.
Despite the prior threats and harassment against Long, the lawsuit claims the university ended a contract it had with a private security firm to help secure its campus just two days before the attack, did not replace them with other equivalent safety measures, only to rehire the private security firm after the attack.
"Since then, we've been prone to threats, antisemitic slurs, and persistent harassment from our peers," Kaminsky said.
The lawsuit claims that, since the attack, Long has been the target of an ongoing hate campaign, with groups distributing flyers labeling him as a "wanted" person, referring to him as an "IDF butcher," and claiming he "got what he deserved."
The lawsuit seeks more than $50,000 in damages from the university.
"Jewish students should feel safe on their campuses. When universities infringe on those rights, they must be held accountable," Kaminsky said.
DePaul officials declined to comment on the allegations in the lawsuit, but said "the safety and security of our students is of paramount importance."
"We unequivocally condemned this violent attack when it occurred. Such an act clearly defies DePaul's values to uphold and care for the dignity of every individual," the university added. "DePaul strongly condemns antisemitism and is actively engaging with local and national leaders to better understand how to address this scourge of hate, which is affecting many communities across the U.S."
