Brandon White v. The New School
The Dhillon Law Group has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Brandon White, an emerging artist and recent graduate of The New School’s Parsons School of Design, alleging the university failed to protect him from assault, slurs, and a prolonged campaign of harassment, fueled by protestors’ mistaken belief that he was Jewish. StandWithUs Saidoff Legal serves as legal consultant in the case. The lawsuit is part of the Magen Project, Dhillon Law Group’s campaign with Restore the American Dream Foundation (RAD) to fight antisemitism through strategic litigation.
The case, White v. The New School, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that The New School allowed a climate of antisemitic hostility to take root and escalate following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack against Israel.
The campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, along with faculty and outside activists, launched protest actions that the complaint describes as increasingly aggressive, discriminatory, and disruptive. Protestors allegedly used physical blockades, hate-fueled rhetoric, and intimidation tactics targeting Jewish and Israeli students, or anyone perceived to be.
“When someone blocks you from going to class and shoves you out of the only entrance because they assume what you believe, and the university just shrugs — it’s clear something is broken,” said White. “This lawsuit is about standing up to that kind of hate and holding the school accountable.”
White, who is neither Jewish nor Israeli, alleges that he was physically assaulted on Dec. 4, 2023, when he attempted to enter the University Center for class. Protestors blocked his access, screamed slurs like “Zio” at him, shoved him backwards, slammed a door on his hand, and threatened him as he left.
“This isn’t just about protest,” said Matthew Sarelson, partner at Dhillon Law Group. “This is about a university that allowed students and staff to use physical force and public smear campaigns against those they deemed ‘Zionists’, real or perceived, and then punished the victims instead of the perpetrators. What happened to Brandon was disgraceful.”
In the immediate aftermath, protestors launched a smear campaign online, circulating White’s photo with false claims that he was a violent bigot. Despite White promptly reporting the incident, the university refused to investigate his complaint for months. Instead, it launched a disciplinary investigation against White based on retaliatory accusations from the same students who had harassed him.
The university’s investigation into the false claims against White—in which StandWithUs Legal worked with White—dragged on for months. The university refused to enforce its own policies protecting students from retaliation and harassment. Ultimately, The New School dismissed White’s complaint without taking disciplinary action against any of his assailants.
“People asked why I didn’t just walk away,” White added. “But there was only one entrance. I wasn’t looking for conflict — I just wanted to go to class. No one should have to choose between their education and their safety.”
The lawsuit outlines what it calls a broader pattern of The New School enabling protestors who demanded discriminatory boycotts against Israelis and repeatedly disrupted campus operations. Faculty members not only supported the protest movement but participated in it, culminating in a faculty-led encampment that further obstructed university functions.
“What this lawsuit exposes is a university that actively enabled harassment while punishing the victims,” said Sarelson. “Brandon White’s experience is not an isolated case, it’s a symptom of a broken system where antisemitism is tolerated, even rewarded.”
The lawsuit cites a report from the nonprofit watchdog Stop Antisemitism, which gave The New School an “F” on its 2024 campus antisemitism report card. The report found that 75% of Jewish students at TNS had experienced antisemitism, 95% said they did not feel welcome in many campus spaces, and 87% reported feeling personally blamed for Israel’s actions. The New School took no meaningful action in response.
“Instead of taking a stand against hate, The New School allowed a climate of fear and discrimination to fester,” said Yael Lerman, Legal Director at StandWithUs. “The kangaroo court process didn’t just fail Brandon White—it sent a message that Jewish students, and those perceived to be Jewish, are not safe or supported on campus. That is unacceptable, and it’s why we are proud to partner on this lawsuit, which exposes the deeply troubling reality at The New School.”
