A UK Jewish advocacy organization is launching a class action lawsuit against a British university for not speedily and appropriately dealing with a professor accused of harassing Jewish students at the school.
Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) is calling on Jewish students who were enrolled at the University of Bristol in the 2020-21 school year to participate in a lawsuit against the university having to do with the alleged harassment of Jewish students by Professor David Miller.
CAA has hired lawyers and has begun a “pre-action process ahead of commencing litigation against the University.”
“The prospective lawsuit is being prepared over statements made by [Professor] David Miller, who is employed by the University,” said CAA in a statement. “The case against the University concerns alleged unlawful harassment on the basis of Jewish ethnicity and Judaism, amounting to breaches of the Equality Act 2010, as well as breaches of contract.”
CAA noted that “much has been written about [Professor] Miller, who has recently added to his record of inflammatory statements about the Jewish community with the assertion earlier this year that ‘Zionism is racism’ and a declaration that his objective is ‘to end Zionism as a functioning ideology of the world.’”
In April, the UK Jewish community was outraged after learning that Miller, who had been placed on “sick leave” from the University of Bristol, due to offensive comments made toward Jewish students, had gone back to work.
According to the Jewish Chronicle, Miller’s hateful comments included accusing Jewish Society (J-Soc) members of being “pawns of a racist regime engaged in ethnic cleansing.”
Miller was also quoted as saying at a February online conference, “It’s a question of how we defeat the ideology of Zionism in practice. How do we make sure Zionism is ended essentially. There’s no other way of saying that.”
A recent New Statesman report revealed that the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) government office that funds academic research provided Miller and his co-authors with £401,552 ($553,087) for research to take place over three years.
Miller is currently under investigation by the University of Bristol after his controversial comments aimed at Jewish students, reported BBC News.
“Miller’s statements and the University’s failure to condemn them and take swift action against him have been the subject of a great deal of attention from the Jewish community as well as hundreds of academics and Parliament, including a written question by Lord Austin, as well as a recent intervention from [MP] Robert Halfon,” said CAA.
“The legal claim contends that Miller’s statements sought to create a hostile environment for Jewish students. It further alleges that the University is liable for Miller’s conduct, and is further liable in its own right, for unlawful conduct in breach of the Equality Act, and for its breach of its contract with students.”
CAA said that the case was its latest measure to defend the rights of Jewish students.
“We believe that universities and [student] unions must be robustly held to account when they fail to defend Jewish students or when they allow their lecturers to discriminate against or harass them,” they said.