Student files ‘hostile environment’ complaint against York

A York University student filed a complaint with Ontario\'s Human Rights Tribunal alleging the university tolerated an environment hostile to Jews. Sammy Katz claims that he and other students were subject to physical and verbal abuse at a pro-Israel event on the university\'s Toronto campus in February 2010.

[additional-authors]

Jewish Journal

March 25, 2011

A York University student filed a complaint with Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal alleging the university tolerated an environment hostile to Jews.

Sammy Katz claims that he and other students were subject to physical and verbal abuse at a pro-Israel event on the university’s Toronto campus in February 2010.

York subsequently released video of the event that suggested the pro- and anti-Israel students at the fracas were evenly matched and that there was little or no physical confrontation.

In the complaint, released Thursday by Katz’s lawyers, the student claims he was subsequently vindicated in his claims and that York had “spun its own inaccurate version of the episode.”

Canadian universities have in recent years seen a flurry of tensions between pro- and anti-Israel groups.

A year ago, York expelled a student who allegedly advocated genocide against the Jews.

Last week, McGill University in Montreal launched an investigation of a student who allegedly tweeted a threat to shoot participants at a pro-Israel event.