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Berlin Court Rejects Antisemitism-Protection Lawsuit Against Free University of Berlin as Inadmissible

The ruling turns on the finding that Berlin’s higher-education law creates institutional obligations rather than individually enforceable rights.

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Das Verwaltungsgericht Berlin hat die Klage eines jüdischen Studenten gegen die Freie Universität Berlin wegen angeblich mangelnden Schutzes vor Diskriminierung zurückgewiesen. Die Klage sei als unzulässig abgewiesen worden, erklärte eine Sprecherin.

Overview

  • The Administrative Court in Berlin dismissed Lahav Shapira’s case on formal grounds, holding that Paragraph 5 of the state higher-education law does not grant individual claims.
  • Judges allowed an appeal to the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg, so the decision is not final.
  • Shapira argues a hostile campus climate since October 2023 and submitted a list of roughly 100 incidents; his February 2024 assault by a fellow student resulted in a three-year sentence at first instance, with the criminal appeal ongoing.
  • The court said concrete unlawful acts can be addressed through university disciplinary rules, police and public order law, or assembly law.
  • FU Berlin points to an anti-discrimination framework, offices and workshops, while the federal antisemitism commissioner expressed regret over the outcome and the university pledged to continue preventive measures.