Student Files Suit Claiming TMU Failed to Protect Against Antisemitism

Toronto, ON – April 24, 2026 – A Statement of Claim has been filed against Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), by another student who asserts that, since October 7, 2023, TMU has failed to protect her and other Jewish community members by permitting, condoning, and enabling a hostile and poisoned environment for Jewish students.  

Liat Schwartz, a leader in the Jewish student community at TMU, experienced pervasive antisemitic intimidation and harassment, leaving her ostracized, humiliated, and no longer feeling safe attending classes. Harmful rhetoric and behaviour came not only from fellow students, but also from TMU-funded student groups, and faculty members. Despite repeatedly raising her concerns with the administration, no meaningful or effective action was taken.

The lawsuit details TMU’s actions and inaction in response to more than two years of escalating intimidating, offensive, demeaning, threatening, and disruptive conduct directed at Liat and other Jewish students.

“The environment at TMU pushed me to a place I never thought I’d be – feeling like I no longer belonged on my own campus,” said Liat. “I found myself hiding who I am, removing anything that showed I was Jewish, and constantly debating whether it was safe to express my identity at all. No student should have to feel that way. The constant fear and isolation wore me down. It destroyed my sense of security and dignity, and it had a profound impact on my mental health.”

“TMU’s stated commitments and conduct policies appear to be little more than empty assurances, as they are either not implemented, inconsistently applied, or insufficiently enforced, allowing ostracization, demonization, intimidation, harassment, and hate to fester and pushing more Jewish students off their campus,” said David Rosenfeld, Partner, Koskie Minsky LLP, and member of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ Legal Task Force. “Despite repeated incidents and reports from TMU community members and other organizations, the environment at TMU has not improved for Jewish students, instead, it has continued to escalate.”

The latest examples are the escalating targeted intimidation and harassment by other TMU community members who are involved in Students for Justice in Palestine at TMU (SJP-TMU). In the spring of 2025, after a Students Supporting Israel (SSI) event where those affiliated with SJP-TMU attempted to block the event’s entrance, SJP-TMU then began posting Liat and other Jewish TMU students’ images online and in pamphlets plastered around campus which included calls to have them and SSI kicked off campus. Publicly identifying Jewish students in this manner was a clear threat and directly goes against TMU Conduct Policies.

In some materials, Liat’s face was highlighted and she was accused of genocide. In others, there were calls for Liat and other Jewish students to be removed from campus. 

This conduct was raised to TMU by Liat, Students Supporting Israel (SSI), and Hillel, but no action was taken to hold the students affiliated with SJP-TMU accountable.

TMU’s lack of action against these students emboldened SJP-TMU to engage in even more extreme conduct toward Liat and other Jewish students, such as, seeking out and infiltrating a private off-campus event on November 5, 2025, occupying the space, and screaming antisemitic violence-inciting slogans while wearing masks shielding their identity. One such individual brought a weapon to the event and shattered a glass door that an attendee was using to stop further incursions and causing injury to two attendees.

TMU is aware of these events, and of the arrests and charges against several TMU community members. Still, TMU has failed to take appropriate action.

As a result of the November 5, 2025, attack, the escalating targeting of Liat and other Jewish TMU students, and TMU's failure to take action to address this conduct and other conduct since October 7, 2023, Liat has no confidence in TMU's ability to create a safe learning environment for her at TMU.  TMU's failures have forced Liat to abandon her studies at TMU.

“Every incident, every dismissal, every time nothing was done made it clear that TMU either couldn’t or wouldn’t address the antisemitism around me. I lost all confidence in its ability to keep Jewish students safe and to enforce its own conduct policies fairly,” said Liat.

“No student should have to choose between their safety and their education,” said Richard Marceau, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, and General Counsel, CIJA. “We are supporting this legal action because TMU repeatedly failed in its duty to protect Jewish students from harassment and intimidation. Policies mean nothing if they aren’t enforced. This case is about ensuring accountability and restoring a campus environment where Jewish students can learn without fear.”

For a full accounting of the events that led to the lawsuit, read the Statement of Claim here.

The Plaintiff is suing for general damages of $300,000, for special damages, and for $1,000,000 in punitive damages. The claim also asks the court to declare that TMU violated commitments made to the Plaintiff and breached the duties of care owed to her and the other Jewish TMU community members by failing to apply – or inadequately applying – TMU’s own conduct policies. The Plaintiff is asking the Court to direct TMU to apply its own policies in a complete and fulsome manner to any and all conduct involving Jewish TMU community members and report to the TMU community thereon. 

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Additional Background

• Previous legal action against TMU by Jewish student filed in April 2024: TMU Student Suing University for Fostering Poisoned Antisemitic Environment

Some examples of the egregious harassment and discrimination Liat and other Jewish TMU community members endured that TMU has either ignored or inadequately addressed include: 

• Liat was regularly confronted with antisemitic violence-inciting slogans in use at rallies and protests, and on signs and graffiti throughout TMU and in TMU buildings. Phrases like “Intifada until victory”, “globalize the Intifada”, and “Only one solution, intifada revolution” were perceived as direct threats to Liat’s personal safety and that of other Jewish students. Despite TMU President Lachemi confirming to members of Parliament in January 2024 that such slogans are contrary to the TMU Conduct Policies, no meaningful or effective actions have been taken.
• TMU students who operate student organizations (funded by the Toronto Metropolitan Student Union which receives money collected by TMU from the fees that Liat, and all students, must pay), directed and organized conduct that threatened and intimidated Jewish students. Some examples are:
  • Public social media posts glorifying and justifying the October 7 terror attack by Hamas.
  • Organizing and leading rallies in TMU buildings and on TMU campus where antisemitic violence-inciting slogans were used.
  • The open promotion of listed terrorist entities.
  • Blocking, intimidating, targeting and supressing of events and presentations organized by Jewish student clubs.
  • Appropriating the name, image, and likeness, and otherwise doxxing, targeting, and intimidation of Liat and other Jewish students.
• In the incident mentioned above, in November 2025, SSI held a private off-campus event. Despite only sharing event details with those invited, and withholding the location until the day of, SJP-TMU affiliated students learned of the event and publicly called for group members and others to disturb the event via an “Emergency Rally.” SJP-TMU members trespassed by following SSI members into the building, occupied the room where the event was set to take place, screamed antisemitic violence inciting slogans, and one TMU community member even attended with a weapon which was used to shatter a glass door. Fearing for her and others’ safety, Liat called 911 and police were eventually able to control the situation. A guest speaker of the event and one invitee were injured and taken to hospital, where SJP-TMU members followed them continuing their harassment.
• On February 23, 2026, a masked individual entered a TMU facility and threw a carton of milk, believed to be sour, at a group of SSI representatives. The students were gathered at a table, trying to bring awareness to the antisemitic terrorist killings at Bondi Beach in December 2025.