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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jeffrey Lax, Professor at CUNY on Zionism and Anti-Semitism at CUNY
4:40:42
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134 sec
Jeffrey Lax testifies about the need for CUNY to properly define and protect Zionism under its policies, arguing that Zionism is a protected characteristic under both religious and ethnic grounds. He criticizes CUNY's current approach and leadership in handling discrimination complaints related to Zionism.
- Lax won an EEOC case based on Zionism, establishing it as a protected characteristic
- He argues that CUNY's chief diversity officer, an "anti-Zionist BDS activist," is unsuitable for the role
- Lax reveals he was placed under an 8-month investigation for filing an anti-Semitism complaint based on Zionism
Jeffrey Lax
4:40:42
Thank you, chair Dinowitz.
4:40:43
Thank you, councilwoman Wernicke.
4:40:45
Thank you, assembly elect Jaeger for your leadership on this issue.
4:40:50
Really appreciate it.
4:40:51
The Littmann report did scrutinize the policies of CUNY.
4:40:56
However, it did not apply the law to these policies and left that job entirely up to CUNY with the caveat that the university should consider Zionism as part of many Jews' identity.
4:41:08
But that observation is not law nor even an explanation of how to apply existing law.
4:41:13
I'm here hoping to provide suggestions related to the law and what CUNY must do to properly define and follow the law and the report's recommendations.
4:41:23
CUNY must declare that Zionism is a protected characteristic under its policies, and it must define what Zionism is under the law.
4:41:36
Zionism is protected under the law.
4:41:39
I won an EEOC case based on Zionism.
4:41:43
So for any student that's not sure, if they have a case, if they're discriminated against based on Zionism, you do.
4:41:49
Zionism is separated into 2 different protected classes, religious and ethnic.
4:41:53
You can have a religious belief based on the Bible connected to Zionism, and you can have an ethnic connection to the land of Israel through family and other means.
4:42:02
2 years ago and even today, members of CUNY and the chancellor declined to answer council members when they were asked whether Zionism is a protected characteristic.
4:42:10
The answer they should have given was an unambiguous yes.
4:42:14
Zionism is protected under the law, and CUNY must define it as such.
4:42:18
Part of enforcing this policy properly means that CUNY should not employ chief diversity officers who improperly disagree, quote, unquote, that Zionism is connected to religion and or ethnicity.
4:42:30
Currently, the chief diversity officer, as my colleague here mentioned, is an anti Zionist BDS activist that has no place at CUNY.
4:42:38
She is the top chief diversity officer across the entire university.
4:42:43
She oversees 25 campuses.
4:42:46
Because of her ideology, I was placed under investigation, an 8 month hellish investigation, simply for filing an anti Semitism complaint based on Zionism.