Harvard University has settled two lawsuits accusing the Ivy League school of failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic bullying and harassment on campus.

Harvard University will provide additional protections for Jewish students under a settlement announced on Tuesday that resolves two lawsuits accusing the Ivy League school of becoming a hotbed of rampant antisemitism.

The lawsuits came after Harvard faced fierce criticism over its handling of anti-Israel protests that erupted on campus amid the Israel-Hamas war. Jewish students alleged they were bullied, spat on, intimidated, threatened and subjected to verbal and physical harassment.

Many universities have been reluctant to embrace a definition that, among other things, considers some criticisms of Israel as antisemitic. The university’s decision was part of a lawsuit settlement.

The definition, adopted by the the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance as well as more than 40 nations, says that certain kinds of criticism of Israel and Zionism can be antisemitic.

Several other schools have recently settled similar lawsuits, and suits are pending against others, including the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.

Harvard has reached settlements in a pair of legal disputes that claimed the university failed to protect Jewish students since Hamas’ terrorist attacks in Israel, agreeing to a series of reforms

The nation’s richest Ivy League university lost millions in fundraising dollars after drawing donor ire over antisemitism on campus. These settlements could be the first step to assuaging those concerns.

Harvard University settled legal claims alleging the Ivy League school didn’t do enough to protect Jewish students against a wave of antisemitism on campus. As part of the settlements announced Tuesday,

We now have a Harvard standard that other colleges will strive to meet,’ a leading authority on antisemitism and civil rights in higher education

Harvard University has settled two lawsuits with Jewish groups accusing the school of fostering an antisemitic environment in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, as President Donald Trump retakes office with a promise to more heavily police universities for such cases.