Quebec court okays class action against McGill over alleged campus antisemitism

By the Editorial Team · Friday, August 7, 2026

The Superior Court of Quebec has approved a class action lawsuit allowing Jewish students to sue McGill University over alleged antisemitism and the administration’s failure to ensure a safe campus environment since October 2023. This ruling enables the lawsuit to move forward and could influence how universities address and are held accountable for incidents of hate and discrimination on their campuses.

The Superior Court of Quebec has authorized a class action lawsuit against McGill University, allowing a group of Jewish students to seek legal recourse over alleged antisemitism on campus. The decision, issued in a 16-page written judgment by Justice Dominique Poulin on Tuesday, permits plaintiff David Cobrin to represent Jewish students enrolled at McGill since October 8, 2023.

The proposed class action, initiated by the law firm FFMP and backed by B’nai Brith Canada, claims that McGill has failed to adequately enforce its policies against antisemitic and anti-Zionist behavior. The suit alleges that as a result, Jewish students have been deprived of a safe, inclusive, and respectful educational environment from that date forward. The class includes undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, post-doctoral, and continuing education students.

Central to the allegations is an incident involving an anti-Israel encampment on campus, which reportedly featured individuals connected to extremist groups and banned student organizations such as Students in Solidarity with Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR). The group is accused of glorifying Hamas’ attacks through a series of social media posts on October 7 and 8, 2023. Near the one-year anniversary of those attacks, SPHR also promoted a so-called “week of rage.” Cobrin described witnessing hundreds of protesters breaking down barriers intended to protect the area, recounting chants of antisemitic slogans and expressing fears for his personal safety.

McGill University contended that decisions made within the university context are generally protected from judicial review unless exceptional circumstances justify intervention. However, Justice Poulin determined that the situation following the October 7 events was sufficiently “exceptional and complex” to allow the class action to proceed.

Simon Wolle, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, characterized the ruling as a significant step toward acknowledging the experiences of Jewish students at McGill and holding the institution accountable for meaningful change. He criticized McGill for allowing the campus environment to deteriorate into one marked by hate, antisemitism, and extremism. Paola Samuel, B’nai Brith Canada’s regional director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada, emphasized the history of harassment, marginalization, and assaults faced by Jewish students at McGill. She said the court’s decision will provide those students an opportunity to be heard in court.

The court ruling opens the door for further legal proceedings addressing the allegations and may set a precedent for examining university responses to campus hate and discrimination. McGill University has yet to respond publicly to the authorization of the class action.

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