A federal magistrate tossed out a legal action on July 31 that accused Washington, D.C.-based George Washington University of turning a blind eye to “pervasive and severe" antisemitic behavior on its campus, JNS reported.
However, the court did not evaluate the core merits of the case, instead ruling that the filing breached procedural guidelines governing document length while permitting the plaintiffs an opportunity to submit a revised version.
The lawsuit was initially initiated in May 2025 by two past students, alongside the advocacy group Compliance, Accountability, Policy, Ethics-Ed, which represents GWU alumni, students, and institutional stakeholders. The claimants maintain that the private institution neglected its duty to shield Israeli and Jewish students against an environment of hostility.
In his decision for the US District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Trevor McFadden determined that the submission - which extends across nearly 200 pages and exceeds 1,000 individual paragraphs - failed to satisfy Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8. That rule mandates that any civil action present “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief."
McFadden noted that “Much of its length stems from excessive narrative," even as he acknowledged “the serious nature of the allegations at issue." To rectify the procedural error, the court provided the plaintiffs a 30-day window to draft and submit an amended complaint that adheres to federal rules.
George Washington University is among many universities in the United States which saw a rise in antisemitism, including anti-Israel protests and encampments, since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel.
In one incident, a protester participating in an anti-Israel demonstration at George Washington University was photographed holding a sign reading "Final Solution," the name of the Nazi's plan to exterminate the Jews.
Later, anti-Israel protesters at the university called for the “guillotine" to be used on university President Ellen Granberg and other school administrators during a mock tribunal.