A Quebec Superior Court judge has authorised a class action alleging McGill University failed to take sufficient steps to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment, intimidation and violence in the months following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.
The suit, launched by former undergraduate David Cobrin, covers students registered at McGill from Oct. 8, 2023 until the public notice of the court's authorizing decision. Plaintiffs are asking for the reimbursement of 33 per cent of tuition and student fees for affected students and are also seeking $5 million in collective punitive damages.
What the ruling means
Justice Dominique Poulin concluded the allegations met the threshold required to allow a class action to proceed to trial, but the decision does not establish McGill’s legal responsibility. The authorizing judgment described the campus situation after Oct. 7 as "exceptional and complex," and said the allegations warranted examination at trial.
“This authorization judgment is a significant milestone,” Cobrin’s lawyer Tina Silverstein said in an email to The Gazette. She added the legal team hopes the ruling will be “a wake-up call to McGill” to begin taking steps to address antisemitism on campus.
The court's finding is procedural: it recognises that the claims are sufficiently plausible and numerous to be heard collectively, streamlining potential litigation for people who say they experienced similar harms during the period in question.
Allegations described in the court record
According to the authorizing judgment, the claim includes episodes of hostile speech and conduct described as antisemitic and anti‑Zionist, and alleges the university failed to take prompt or effective disciplinary action during a series of protests. The filing includes an allegation by Cobrin that during a February 2024 demonstration he was struck and knocked to the ground by a masked protester while attempting to enter the Bronfman Building.
The judge’s 16‑page decision indicates the factual claims raise sufficient concern to show the case “stands a chance at trial and deserves to be heard,” without reaching conclusions about whether the events occurred as alleged or whether McGill is ultimately accountable.
Remedies sought
Plaintiffs are pursuing monetary remedies and a collective finding of wrongdoing. The claims set out in the authorizing decision include:
- Reimbursement of 33 per cent of tuition and student fees for class members; and
- $5 million in collective punitive damages.
| Claim | Amount sought |
|---|---|
| Tuition and student fees reimbursement | 33% |
| Collective punitive damages | $5,000,000 |
Scope and next steps
The class definition covers Jewish students registered during the specified period; the authorizing judgment sets the matter on a path toward a collective trial only if certification and other procedural steps are satisfied. The ruling does not set a trial date, nor does it predetermine the size of the class.
As a procedural milestone, the court’s decision permits consolidated handling of common legal questions, potentially reducing the burden on individual claimants and clarifying the legal and factual issues at stake for the university.
Context and campus implications
The complaint reflects tensions that emerged on many North American campuses after Oct. 7, 2023, when global events prompted protests, counterprotests and heightened concern about student safety. For McGill, the lawsuit raises questions about how university officials balance free expression, protest management and the protection of students from harassment and violence.
If the class action proceeds to trial and plaintiffs succeed, the outcome could lead to substantial financial liabilities for McGill, require changes to its policies and disciplinary practices, and influence how other universities respond to allegations of targeted harassment tied to geopolitical events.
At this stage, the court has authorised the case to proceed; it has not decided the merits. The next steps will include motions and possible negotiations before any trial on the substance of the claims.
Legal counsel for McGill did not appear in the material reviewed for this report, and the university has not been ordered by the court to concede any of the allegations.
This development will be watched closely by students, faculty and administrators in Quebec and elsewhere as it moves through the Quebec civil‑procedure process.
