Statement From Judge Jonathan Lippman on His Report, “Antisemitism and Discrimination at the City University of New York”

On September 23, 2024, Judge Jonathan Lippman, former Chief Judge of New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, delivered the report titled, “Antisemitism and Discrimination at the City University of New York,” to the Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York. The report follows the October 31, 2023, appointment of Judge Lippman by Governor Hochul to conduct “an independent third-party review of the City University of New York’s policies and procedures related to antisemitism and discrimination.” Judge Lippman, who is Of Counsel at Latham & Watkins, was supported in his review by a Latham team led by partner Lawrence Buterman.

Following is Judge Lippman’s statement on the report:

“As a native New Yorker, the son of a CUNY graduate, and someone who has dedicated my professional career to fairness and justice, I am honored to have been chosen by Governor Hochul to conduct this important review. I would like to acknowledge Governor Hochul’s leadership in this critical undertaking. I am also pleased to note the steadfast cooperation we received from Chairperson Thompson, the CUNY Board of Trustees, and Chancellor Matos Rodríguez, among other leaders. Antisemitism and hate in all forms cannot be ignored or minimized, nor allowed to interfere with the education of the next generation of New Yorkers and the values that have guided CUNY since its inception.”

“This report is the result of a ten-month process, which included hundreds of interviews with CUNY community members, in-depth visits to numerous campuses, and extensive reviews of relevant laws and existing CUNY policies and procedures. My ultimate conclusion is that CUNY’s current policies and procedures for preventing and addressing antisemitism and discrimination need to be significantly overhauled and updated in order to handle the levels of antisemitism and discrimination that exist on CUNY’s campuses today.

“CUNY is integral to the fabric of this great city. It is my sincere hope that my recommendations assist CUNY’s leadership in fostering a safe and inclusive environment, free from hate of any kind, and in better handling complaints of antisemitism and discrimination in the future.”

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Read the statement from Governor Kathy Hochul on Judge Jonathan Lippman's Review of Antisemitism and Antidiscrimination Policies at CUNY.