Back to all newsCW files federal lawsuit against Stanford University alleging civil rights violations
July 2025
In partnership with The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, CW has filed a federal lawsuit against Stanford University alleging the university has violated civil rights laws in allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to flourish on campus. The CW team—led by Reuven Cohen, Kathleen Erskine, Talia Nissimyan, and Michael Fisher—represents a Jewish Israeli post-doctoral researcher who was hired by Stanford to develop a type of insulin that would revolutionize treatment for millions of people suffering from diabetes. When he began working at a Stanford lab, however, he was met with malicious, discriminatory conduct intended to permanently tarnish his reputation and career.
"When Dr. Laps suffered discrimination and retaliation at Stanford based on his religion, national origin, and ethnicity, the university preferred not to look," Talia said in a statement to the press. "Instead, they attempted to bury Dr. Laps’ career, and when that didn’t work, to bully him into rescinding his complaints. Instead of upholding the values upon which it was founded, Stanford succumbed to the rising tide of campus anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli bias, costing Dr. Laps critical years of his career, and costing the world the potential fruits of his talents. No form of bigotry is lawful or acceptable, and what happened to Dr. Laps demonstrates why: because we all suffer. We intend to hold Stanford to its highest promise, and bring this action in the hopes that our client can finally secure the accountability he deserves.”
Read the full press release, the complaint, and coverage from Law360.