‘Schools need to wake up’: Jewish student sues TMU for $1.3M over alleged ‘poisoned’ learning environment

Toronto Metropolitan University’s “self-proclaimed TMU Commitments and TMU Conduct Policies” are “mere platitudes,” Liat Schwartz's lawsuit states. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk/Postmedia/File

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A Jewish student is suing Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) for more than $1.3 million, alleging the school created a “poisoned environment” and disregarded several instances of antisemitism and harassment following the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.

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“I think I need to be a voice for all Jewish students who otherwise feel isolated and alone,” Liat Schwartz told National Post. “I have a very powerful voice, and I think I can make change, or hopefully make change, because (Jewish) students can’t go on living like this. It’s not fair. And the schools need to wake up.”

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On March 13, the child and youth care student filed a statement of claim in Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice seeking $1 million in punitive damages and $300,000 in general damages, as well as special damages to be determined by the court and an order that the university apply its conduct policies “in a complete and non-discriminatory manner to any and all conduct involving the Plaintiff and other Jewish TMU community members.” The lawsuit was originally filed in October 2025, but was updated following additional incidents.

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The lawsuit alleges that TMU failed to uphold its Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct, Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy, as well as other rules governing the use of campus space and civility.

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“TMU’s self-proclaimed TMU Commitments and TMU Conduct Policies” are “mere platitudes,” the lawsuit states. It alleges that the university’s failure to apply rules equally “has created a poisoned environment at TMU for the Plaintiff.”

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“Since October 7, 2023, there have been extensive, repeated and ongoing violations of the TMU Conduct Policies impacting Liat and other Jewish TMU community members with whom she engages, for which TMU ignored, condoned, justified or otherwise failed to adequately apply or inadequately applied the TMU Conduct Policies,” the statement of claim alleges.

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The university told National Post in a written statement that TMU “cannot comment on individual cases before the courts, other than to say it will vigorously defend itself against these allegations.”

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“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 school said.

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The university has not yet filed a statement of defence.

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The lawsuit documents several incidents Schwartz says she experienced during her time at TMU’s campus in downtown Toronto, particularly after she joined a local chapter of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) in September 2024. Since then, she’s become a visible advocate for the Jewish state.

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The lawsuit claims that TMU allowed students to use slogans such as “From the River to the Sea Palestine will be free” and “Only one solution, intifada revolution” in signs and graffiti and at rallies. These slogans were “perceived as direct threats to Liat’s personal safety and that of the other Jewish TMU community members,” the lawsuit claims.

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Many incidents cited in the lawsuit involve Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), an official student group on campus. After Students Supporting Israel hosted an off-campus event with two Israelis, the SJP group circulated a group photo of TMU student members and Schwartz that had inverted red triangles over the heads of the guest speakers, a symbol used by Hamas to denote enemy combatants. While the red triangles were later removed, when the image was reposted by SJP, it received comments including, “maybe sjp tmu can bring in Hamas fighters to rape students! That would be fitting rejoinder,” the lawsuit alleges.

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The lawsuit states that Schwartz raised this conduct with TMU but “no action has been taken.”

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Last November, protesters were arrested after disrupting an off-campus event hosted by SSI that featured two former Israeli soldiers speaking about their experience following the October 7 attacks. SJP TMU activists were allegedly among the protesters. After a glass door was broken, injuring attendees, Schwartz called Toronto police.