Allegation of Antisemitism

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon University Community,

Late yesterday, CMU learned of a lawsuit filed against us on behalf of a former student who graduated in May 2023. The complaint is alarming and alleges that the student experienced a series of antisemitic acts and that the university did not pursue her allegations adequately.

We take these allegations very seriously, are reviewing them closely and plan to respond appropriately. I also want to be clear on where we stand as a university: Antisemitism and other forms of discrimination are antithetical to the values that ground our diverse community and drive our academic mission, and hate has no place on our campus.

The community that I have known and been proud of during my tenure at Carnegie Mellon — a community that deeply values differing identities and actively encourages the respectful exchange of disparate ideas, views and beliefs — is strikingly at odds with the one described in the lawsuit.

We will continue to thoughtfully engage our community members to better understand various perspectives and experiences and how we may better support our students, faculty and staff.

As we work to ascertain the facts, we must recommit ourselves to our shared values, pursue our educational mission and redouble our efforts to combat hate and discrimination. These actions are vital to promoting a campus community where everyone feels safe, welcomed and supported.

Sincerely,

Farnam Jahanian
President
Henry L. Hillman President’s Chair