Federal judge declines to block Northwestern from disciplining students boycotting antibias training

Corilyn Shropshire, Chicago Tribune on Oct 21, 2025

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CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago declined to issue a temporary restraining order to a group of Northwestern University graduate students Monday, who are boycotting the school’s controversial antibias training video on antisemitism.

Two graduate students and the campus organization Northwestern Graduate Workers for Palestine are seeking class-action status in a lawsuit filed against Northwestern last week. They allege that a required section of the university’s training module on antisemitism discriminates against Palestinian and Arab students.

Those who refuse to complete the online training are unable to enroll in fall classes, jeopardizing their student status. For some students, the final deadline for course registration was midnight Monday — leading the plaintiffs to ask for injunctive relief.

In a hearing at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, District Judge Georgia N. Alexakis acknowledged that losing their student status would cause the graduate workers “irreparable harm.” But she said that their attorneys hadn’t proven that Northwestern had a discriminatory motive in mandating the training.

Despite the ongoing litigation, it means failure to complete the training will result in immediate consequences for some students.

“We’re obviously disappointed in the results,” attorney Maria de las Nieves Bolaños said at a press conference following the hearing. “However, we are really looking forward to the next step … We believe in our claims. We believe in our clients.”

The 22-minute training video on antisemitism, first introduced in February, is part of a mandatory antibias course titled “Building a Community of Respect and Breaking Down Biases.” Critics say it spreads propaganda about Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza.

Attorneys for Northwestern said that 16 students would be affected if they did not complete the training. It was unclear if all of those students were actively participating in the boycott. Loss of student status would jeopardize access to resources like campus housing, financial aid, student healthcare and research grants.

The graduate students allege that in promoting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism — which critics say penalizes legitimate criticism of the Israeli government — Northwestern has “has enacted policies and practices that prohibit expressions of Palestinian identity, culture, and advocacy for self-determination,” according to the complaint.

“What we have is university policy that is kowtowing toward fascist White House policies that are very frighteningly expanding the definition of antisemitism to include any kinds of criticism of a foreign government,” said attorney Christina Abraham.

Presiding over the hearing, Alexakis noted that the video does not require students to endorse the IHRA definition of antisemitism. The online course also states that, “It is not antisemitic to criticize the policies, practices, or members of the Israeli government,” provided that criticism avoids antisemitic tropes. There is no evidence that Northwestern has gone against that standard, Alexakis said.

“You have to establish that the threat is not speculative,” Alexakis said.

Northwestern developed the training video with the Jewish United Fund, a Chicago-based nonprofit, amid steep federal pressure to curb alleged antisemitism on campus. The university has faced heightened scrutiny under President Donald Trump’s administration: In April, the White House froze $790 million in research funding amid multiple government investigations into the university’s climate for Jewish students.

The antibias course includes a segment on anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian biases. Students are required to complete training on discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct.

A Northwestern University spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

In a previous statement to the Tribune, the university said “it was “committed to maintaining education, work and living environments in which people are treated with dignity and respect.”

“Consistent with this principle, students are required to complete annual trainings about forms of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct,” the statement said.

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