Scathing lawsuit alleges anti-Semitism at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

CHICAGO - A scathing lawsuit has been filed against the School of the Art Institute of Chicago over allegations of anti-Semitism.

The plaintiff, a current student, believes she has been targeted and discriminated against. The student's full identity is being protected, but her first name is Shiran. She's an Israeli and Jewish woman in her 30s who enrolled in the school in the fall to study art therapy.

Shiran claims that she has faced discrimination from the start of her enrollment. The lawsuit, filed in late December, accuses the school of pervasive and severe antisemitic harassment, outlining at least a half dozen instances of discrimination.

In one case, the suit alleges that a professor in the Art Therapy and Counseling program announced a revision to a final assignment — the new assignment required Shiran and her classmates to respond to a collection of images allegedly drawn by Palestinian children depicting Israeli soldiers engaging in brutal violence.

The school released a statement, noting that they don't comment on pending litigation. However, they went on to say, "The School strongly condemns anti-Semitism and any discrimination based on religion, nationality, or any other aspect of a person’s identity. We have policies in place that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, and the School is unequivocally committed to providing a safe and welcoming learning environment for all of our students, faculty, and staff."