By Amira Benjamin and Nadine Alsaghir

A Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) student is suing the administration for allegedly failing to protect her and other Jewish students from antisemitism on campus. 

Liat Schwartz, a third-year child and youth care student and the outgoing president of Students Supporting Israel’s (SSI) TMU chapter, is seeking $1.3 million in general and punitive damages.

Schwartz filed a statement of claim with Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice on March 13, alleging that TMU’s conduct policies are not being equitably applied to protect Jewish students, claiming it has “created a poisoned environment.” 

The litigation comes two years after a similar lawsuit was filed against the university by former media production student Nicole Szweras in April 2024. Szweras also sought $1.3 million, alleging the administration had fostered a hostile environment for Jewish students like herself.

Both lawsuits are supported by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA)’s Legal Task Force. According to CIJA’s website, the Legal Task Force, “helps individuals vindicate their rights by launching impact litigation against universities, school boards and unions.” 

CIJA told The Eyeopener in an email that Szweras’ lawsuit is still in the discovery phase.

Schwartz and Szweras also have the same lawyer, David Rosenfeld of Koskie Minsky LLP. Rosenfeld is a member of CIJA’s Legal Task Force.

In 2025, CIJA told The Canadian Jewish News that their lawyers work pro-bono. The Eye asked CIJA whether they are funding Schwartz’s case, but did not receive a reply in time for publication.

In a press release from CIJA, Rosenfeld said, “TMU’s stated commitments and conduct policies appear to be little more than empty assurances, as they are either not implemented, inconsistently applied, or insufficiently enforced, allowing ostracization, demonization, intimidation, harassment, and hate to fester and pushing more Jewish students off their campus.”

In the press release, Schwartz said she felt like she no longer belonged at TMU. “I found myself hiding who I am, removing anything that showed I was Jewish, and constantly debating whether it was safe to express my identity at all.”

The Eye reached out to both Schwartz and Rosenfeld for comment but did not receive a reply in time for publication.

In the statement of claim, Schwartz alleges TMU’s Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct, the Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy, among other university policies are not being fairly implemented when it comes to matters involving Jewish students.

The Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct establishes community standards for all students, according to TMU’s website. 

The Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy outlines TMU’s commitment to promoting and protecting human rights. 

The Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy also states that every individual has a right to claim and enforce their rights under the policy. It outlines that individuals are protected from discrimination based on characteristics such as age, ancestry, citizenship, colour, disability, ethnic origin, race, sex, gender identity and more.

In an emailed statement to The Eye, the university said it cannot comment on cases before the courts but, “will vigorously defend itself against these allegations.”

The email read that, “Any instances of antisemitism at TMU are not tolerated, allowed, or ignored. The university takes antisemitism seriously and addresses complaints through a structured and consistent process, including strong policies. Every single reported complaint of inappropriate behaviour is thoroughly reviewed, and where appropriate, investigated by relevant teams.”

The statement of claim cites numerous instances in which Schwartz believes conduct policies were not fairly applied.

This includes the Nov. 5, 2025 incident in which six protestors were charged after disrupting an off-campus SSI event. The event invited former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier Jonathan Karten to speak to attendees as part of SSI’s “Triggered” speaking tour. 

In the statement of claim, Schwartz alleges SSI was denied space on campus to host the event and also denied a security presence. 

She also alleges SSI instead paid for an off-campus venue and “provided details of the event only to those invited and only shared the location the day of the event,” as a means to “implement security precautions.”

Protestors from the TMU community and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) TMU entered the event before it began, according to the statement of claim. Footage posted to SJP’s Instagram shows Karten forcibly removing protestors from the space.

In an email to The Eye, SJP wrote, “all video evidence clearly shows the foreign soldier assaulting students who were non-violent. A war criminal shouldn’t have been invited by TMU students, let alone allowed to enter Canada, as his presence was itself a threat to public safety and a violation of international law.” 

Both TMU and the Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) have announced intentions to complete independent investigations into the incident. 

Retired Justice Mary Lou Benotto was appointed to lead the TMU investigation on Nov. 17, 2025. 

In an emailed statement to The Eye, TMSU said they appointed lawyer Emily Lam as an independent investigator to review the incident.

“That investigation is underway and TMSU is not in a position to share interim details or findings while it continues, in order to protect the integrity of the process and the fairness owed to those involved,” TMSU told The Eye.

According to the statement of claim, Schwartz filed a formal complaint against SJP and the students facing charges but the university, “refused to identify the TMU community members affiliated with SJP-TMU, or investigate those involved, so that [Schwartz] could specially name them in her complaint.” 

According to the statement of claim, SSI “sought a meeting” with TMU president Mohamed Lachemi, but the request was seemingly ignored.

The statement of claim also mentions an SSI event which took place in April 2025, where Schwartz alleges she and SSI members were “directly intimidated and harassed” by TMU community members. 

Schwartz claims TMU denied SSI’s request for on-campus space to host the event, which was to feature “two Israelis.” SSI then opted to host the event at Hillel TMU’s off-campus office. 

The statement of claim alleges TMU community members affiliated with SJP protested outside the building’s entrance.

In a post on SSI’s Instagram page, they said the event’s speakers were two IDF soldiers.

Afterwards, Schwartz claims SJP edited a photo taken from SSI’s Instagram account featuring her and other SSI members and distributed it both online and in-person to, “publicly target, intimidate and harass [Schwartz] and other TMU students affiliated with SSI.”

In an email to The Eye, SJP said they, “reposted a picture from SSI’s public Instagram page,” and were, “clearly cataloguing proof of ex-israeli occupation forces, whom have been engaged in war crimes in Gaza, present at the Hillel loft in an effort to expose and end israeli propaganda catered to TMU students.”

According to the statement of claim, “no action has been taken by TMU against the TMU students affiliated with SJP-TMU involved in this conduct nor has any action been taken by TMU to stop those TMU students affiliated with SJP-TMU from engaging in such conduct.” 

The statement of claim also cites the open letter written by a group of Lincoln Alexander School of Law students to their dean in 2023. 

The statement alleges the letter contained statements which were intimidating, offensive and, “not supportive of a safe and respectful learning environment.”

An external review of the letter by retired Chief Justice J. Michael MacDonald found the letter was not in violation of the university’s Student Code of Non-academic Conduct. 

Two years later on Oct. 3, 2025, a group of the letter’s signees launched a $10 million defamation lawsuit against law school administration over backlash they faced.

Although they are not being sued, the TMSU is also mentioned in the statement of claim. They are accused of funding student organizations whose conduct Schwartz considers to be intimidating and demeaning to her and other Jewish students.

In an emailed statement to The Eye, the TMSU said the union, “works to ensure that all students at TMU, regardless of faith, country of origin, race, gender, sexual orientation, or ability, are welcome and supported on campus.” 

“The Union takes student concerns regarding discrimination and harassment extremely seriously and complaints received by TMSU concerning the Union or TMSU-recognized student groups are dealt with in accordance with TMSU policy,” they wrote. 

The university has 20 days to respond to the lawsuit, according to the statement of claim.