YU and Pride Alliance Reach Settlement, Ceasing All Litigation and Establishing a New Club “Hareni”
The long-running lawsuit between Yeshiva University and the YU Pride Alliance and former students was settled on Thursday, bringing a permanent end to all litigation. As part of the settlement, YU has agreed to recognize a new club for LGBTQ students, to be known as “Hareni.”
The lawsuit, which was filed in 2021, was brought by four YU students and alumni against YU, President Ari Berman and Vice Provost Chaim Nissel, arguing that the university had illegally discriminated against them by refusing the club’s application for official recognition three times.
“The parties have reached an agreement and the litigation is ending,” the parties announced in a joint statement. “Current students will be implementing a club, to be known as Hareni, that will seek to support LGBTQ students and their allies and will operate in accordance with the approved guidelines of Yeshiva University’s senior rabbis. The club will be run like other clubs on campus, all in the spirit of a collaborative and mutually supportive campus culture.”
Minutes after the agreement was announced, the Pride Alliance’s student WhatsApp group name was changed from “YU Pride Alliance” to “Hareni.”
“It is with great pleasure and excitement that we announce to everyone that we are now an official club at YU!” Former Pride Alliance co-presidents Schneur Friedman (YC ‘25) and Hayley Goldberg (SCW ‘27) told the WhatsApp group. “We will go forward using the club name Hareni coming from the phrase … “I hereby undertake to fulfill the positive commandment, Love your fellow as yourself” … We are honored to begin this official club as your co-presidents and will continue to foster a strong community within YU! Stay tuned for upcoming meetings, social events, and initiatives—we can’t wait to share this journey with you!”
“This agreement affirms that there has never been a genuine conflict between Torah values and open LGBTQ+ identity,” Doniel Weinreich (YC ‘20), one of the plaintiffs, told The Commentator. “It demonstrates that fully committed Orthodox Jewish environments can also be affirming of LGBTQ+ constituents. This is a great moment for the entire Modern Orthodox community. It is a testament that uncompromising commitment to Torah and halacha can exist without the homophobia and cowardice that has previously hindered our community and institutions.”
The settlement brings to a close almost four years of ongoing litigation. In June of 2022, Judge Lynn Kotler of the New York County Supreme Court ruled that YU was required to recognize the Pride Alliance on campus, a ruling that was upheld by the New York Appellate Division in August. YU immediately appealed directly to the Supreme Court of the United States, arguing that the ruling constituted an infringement of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court denied YU’s request for a stay in a 5-4 decision, with the justices in the majority saying the case had to go to the New York Court of Appeals, the highest court in New York, before they could rule on it.
Just two days following the Supreme Court’s ruling, YU announced that it would temporarily freeze all club activities until after the chagim, while it took steps “to follow the roadmap provided by the US Supreme Court to protect YU’s religious freedom.” Ultimately, YU reached a settlement with the Pride Alliance to defer recognition of the club until litigation concluded, allowing other clubs to continue their activities.
Following the Supreme Court decision, litigation largely stalled, with the Appellate Division denying YU’s request to appeal to the state’s highest court until the question of monetary damages owed by YU to the plaintiffs was decided by the trial court. However, the case never went to trial, being stalled for nearly two years after a dispute between the two sides’ attorneys over discovery. Discovery is the pre-trial phase in which the two sides share documents and information relevant to the case. YU requested access to the plaintiffs’ health, financial and employment records. Lawyers for YU maintained that these were important documents for evaluating whether any damage occurred, while lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that YU was trying to intimidate the plaintiffs with requests for personal information. There haven’t been significant developments in the case since.
The announcement of an officially recognized LGBTQ student group at YU also follows years of negotiations between students and the administration. In October 2022, YU announced the formation of Kol Yisrael Areivim, an LGBTQ club “grounded in halacha and Torah values,” and endorsed by the roshei yeshiva. However, students were apparently never notified about the establishment of the club in advance, and the club had no members, no events and was never formally listed as a student club. In 2023, negotiations with students almost resulted in a club called Anachnu, but the plan was scrapped following Oct. 7, 2023, and the idea was apparently never revived.
“I’m thrilled that the parties involved have reached such an agreement and that a club will be formed for LGBTQ students and allies,” YSU President Sam Weinberg (YC ‘25) told The Commentator. “At Yeshiva University, everyone deserves a space to find dignity, understanding, and camaraderie, and I hope that the club is a first step toward greater acceptance and mutual appreciation of all of our students, regardless of orientation.”
The settlement also comes amidst increased attention to LGBTQ issues on campus. At the Wilf Campus club fair last month, a member of the Pride Alliance was shoved by another student who yelled insults and slurs, prompting greater attention towards LGBTQ students at YU.
"As the Dean of Students for Yeshiva University’s undergraduate schools, I have had the opportunity to work collaboratively with students and the Roshei Yeshiva to establish a new club on campus,” Dean Sara Asher told The Commentator. “Under student leadership, Hareni will operate in accordance with the approved guidelines of YU’s Roshei Yeshiva as it seeks to support our LGBTQ students with planning for events. I am grateful as we move ahead together in the spirit of a unified campus culture.”
Members of the Pride Alliance told The Commentator that they were not permitted to comment on the settlement, having given the New York Times exclusivity on the story until its story is published. After consulting with the New York Times, the paper confirmed that they were not permitted to give any details or statements to student publications. A spokesperson for the law firm representing the Pride Alliance also said he could not immediately comment.
This is a developing story.
Editor's note: This article was updated to correct Doniel Weinreich's graduation date and to include a statement from YU Dean of Students Sara Asher.
Photo caption: The Five Core Torah Values
Photo credit: Yeshiva University / Flickr
