A federal judge today dismissed a suit against Harvard University by ten alums who demanded they be reimbursed their tuition and room and board because Harvard had completely devalued the worth of their diplomas by not doing enough to stamp out anti-Semitism on campus, indeed, had made them ashamed to admit they went to school in Cambridge.
In an order posted in the case docket today, US District Court Judge George O'Toole said the Harvard Ten - who graduated between 1976 and 1996 - simply had no case, because they failed to prove enough of a direct correlation between Harvard's alleged inaction and their alleged newfound shame.
<blockquote>The plaintiffs do not currently attend Harvard, nor are they employed by Harvard. They graduated from Harvard many years before the central events referred to in the complaint. They are not themselves directly affected by Harvard’s recent administrative actions and/or omissions, and consequently they have no cognizable legal injury that could be redressed through this suit.</blockquote>
In their complaint, the ten said amok anti-Semitism at Harvard following the Hamas massacres had become so well publicized that they were afraid to tell anybody they went to school in Cambridge:
Plaintiffs have been harmed as a direct result of Harvard’s abject failure to address and prevent antisemitism and the shameful harassment of Jewish students and those who dare speak out for them. The value of a Harvard degree has been significantly diminished, rendering it functionally damaged in the professional and academic spheres. Plaintiffs are in a situation they never imagined: they are ashamed to say they went to Harvard.
In addition to reimbursement of their "financial costs associated with having attended Harvard," they demanded that Harvard be ordered to fire any professors and kick out any students who engaged in what they considered blatant anti-Semitism.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Original complaint | 265.95 KB |
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By emac
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 1:43pm
So we can’t sue the President for embarrassing us as Americans, ask for him to leave and for our taxes to be refunded?
(Just kidding, I’m not rich and didn’t go to Harvard, so I know that this is a similarly braindead idea.)
If Harvard was all rich kids...
By Friartuck
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 6:06pm
Imposter syndrome wouldn't be an actual thing... so, there's that
So after all that drama these
By anon
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 2:51pm
So after all that drama these employees were not even costing the US taxpayer anything? I would have supported their continued employment regardless but would it not make logical sense to make sure that cost saving cuts are actually cost saving before doing them?
This is what I do not understand with supporters of Trump and DOGE. Even if they do not think the government should be funding something it makes no sense even in that world to cut people who are turning a profit.
So where have they worked for the past 20 years?
By BostonDog
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 2:55pm
Unless they are claiming that Harvard also has a time machine and retroactively devalued their degrees, forcing them to take jobs in Dunky D's upon graduation where they have remained employed ever since.
Everyone thinks Harvard sucks and is overrated but I've yet to meet anyone who wouldn't attend if given the choice. (An offer from Princeton or Yale notwithstanding.)
Jackie O
By HPboy
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 3:14pm
Well you've never met Jack O'Callaghan then. Famously turned down Harvard for BU. Most of the teachers and admin at Latin thought he was nuts. Seems to have worked out OK for him though.
BU was free to him and a
By Ben
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 3:50pm
BU was free to him and a better hockey team while at Harvard where there are no athletic scholarships he would have had to pay. Although maybe if he'd attended Harvard he wouldn't spout the conspiracies he does today.
Yeah right.
By HPboy
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 7:00pm
Jackie was a pre-gentrification Townie from a family of very limited means. Very naive if you think money or lack thereof would have been an issue with him attending Harvard (and playing hockey for them).
Another Harvard rejecter
By mg
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 4:00pm
I refused to apply to Harvard despite my guidance counselor pleading ("you'd get in" - and I likely would have since I was comparable to classmates who did). I've always hated the Harvard attitude.
LOL
By Plen-T-Pak
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 4:11pm
FFS
Counterpoint
By Charles Olson
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 3:00pm
There's a saying among Harvard alumni, at least the ones I know, to the effect of "If someone asks where you went to college, just say 'Fuck you', you'll offend fewer people that way".
In answer to this question, usually I just would say...
By Michael Kerpan
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 9:28pm
... "in Boston".
Can they re-tool and sue
By Frelmont
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 4:47pm
Can they re-tool and sue owing to the deleterious effects of grade-inflation maybe?
I say, I award them the money...
By Former Westroxer
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 9:24pm
...on the condition that they never mention going to Harvard again, if they're so f'ing ashamed of it.
And, sorry* to bring this up, but did they somehow manage to ignore Harvard's long, long stretch of limiting the number of Jews who are admitted...
... a policy which ended before they got in...
...and then they got in...
...graduated...
...and only f'ing now they have a problem? Nice money grab, assholes. If this is what you need to do to get attention, or money, at this point in your miserable old age, your classmates are laughing at you.
*jk, not sorry at all. But if you're super sensitive about anti-Semitism, go to some other Harvard (Catholic, Jewish, Connecticut, etc.) but not H-bomb Harvard.
Business not a school
By Paul B
Wed, 02/26/2025 - 9:45pm
They sell a name, the business school and medical school care about merit. Outside the Northeast Bubble there are many schools who view us as not only snobby, aloof, and egocentric but who graduate students who go on and out and succeed in businesses and are just as bright as a legacy from Harvard. Cannot defend antisemitism no matter what you compare the schools tolerance of it to.
Funny though we view ourselves as social progressives we tolerate the resurgence of hatred and distrust of Jews espoused by the elites at the turn of the century. Great legacy.
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