Independent City College of San Francisco Investigation Confirms Identity-Based Discrimination, Setting Key Precedent for Campus Anti-Semitism Cases

(Washington, D.C.– March 31, 2026)  – The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and StandWithUs Saidoff Law on March 31 announced a significant victory for Jewish faculty and students after City College of San Francisco (CCSF) concluded that a Jewish professor was subjected to unlawful harassment and discrimination during a CCSF Board of Trustees meeting based on her Jewish identity. The outcome establishes a critical precedent for how universities must evaluate conduct often mischaracterized as political speech but that, in context, targets Jewish identity.

Professor Abigail Bornstein is a Jewish faculty member at CCSF who became the target of repeated, public, and highly personalized attacks rooted in anti-Semitic tropes and threats. The most serious incident occurred during a public CCSF Board of Trustees meeting on May 29, 2025, when she became the victim of a prolonged, profanity-laced tirade. At this meeting, Maria Salazar-Colon, a CCSF staff member and Management Assistant in the Office of Student Conduct and Discipline, who is also the president of the campus chapter of SEIU Local 1021, referred to Professor Bornstein as a “colonizer,” mocked her Jewish surname (“Dumb-stine”), and told her to “shut the f*** up” multiple times. During the meeting, the same aggressor sent Bornstein a hostile follow-up email, again referring to her as a “colonizer.” As a result of these incidents, Professor Bornstein feared for her safety, reported the conduct to campus authorities and the police, stopped coming to campus, and was unable to teach in person as planned. 

CCSF engaged an independent, third-party investigator to review the complaints after Professor Bornstein formally reported the conduct to campus authorities. Following this investigation, CCSF determined that the repeated, public attacks against Professor Bornstein constituted harassment and discrimination based on her Jewish identity in violation of its policies prohibiting discrimination, harassment, and workplace violence. The investigator specifically credited evidence showing that terms such as “colonizer,” as used in this context, functioned as an attack on Bornstein’s Jewish identity and national origin, and determined that the respondent’s claim that she was unaware of Bornstein’s Jewish identity was not credible. The investigation also found that the follow up email sent by the aggressor could reasonably be interpreted as threatening and intimidating. CCSF will be taking disciplinary action. 

Additionally, CCSF rejected a retaliatory complaint filed against Bornstein by the aggressor, finding no evidence of wrongdoing by Bornstein. The investigator concluded that Bornstein’s reports of anti-Semitism were made in good faith and were a legitimate response to identity-based harassment, not retaliation.

Following the investigator’s findings and administrative determination in Professor Bornstein’s favor, Salazar-Colon filed an appeal on February 5. Professor Bornstein requested that the matter be heard in open session at the Board of Trustees meeting on February 12 and spoke briefly in opposition to the appeal. Eight colleagues also spoke in support of Professor Bornstein, including several highly respected and long-serving members of the CCSF community, underscoring the seriousness of the underlying conduct and the strength of support for the findings. The Board did not report any action following its closed session on February 12 and did not act within the required 45-day period. Under applicable regulations, the administrative determination is therefore deemed approved and is now final.

Taken together, the findings make clear that anti-Semitism is identity-based discrimination, not a political dispute, and that institutions, in assessing alleged anti-Semitic conduct, must consider the actual impact on Jewish individuals. By recognizing that terms like “colonizer” and other language tied to Israel can function as anti-Semitic harassment, the ruling offers clear guidance for addressing anti-Semitism across academic, political, and union settings.

Professor Bornstein was represented throughout the process by attorneys from the Brandeis Center and StandWithUs. 

“Anti-Semitism cannot and should not be downplayed as political, academic, or workplace disagreement. Anti-Semitism is, clearly and concretely, insidious discrimination,” said Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education who previously ran the Office for Civil Rights. “Institutions have both the authority and the obligation to intervene, and we are hopeful that these outcomes encourage those who wish to report incidents of anti-Semitism to come forward without fear of retaliation.”

“Discriminatory treatment of minorities in the workplace—even when it takes the form of speech—may constitute unlawful harassment when it targets an individual’s protected identity. As this investigation confirms, calling a Jewish employee a ‘colonizer’ or mocking a Jewish employee’s last name can be actionable harassment, and employers have an obligation to provide a workplace free from such conduct. Employers should recognize when identity-based harassment has occurred, promptly intervene, and consistently enforce their policies to deter future violations,” said Deedee Bitran, Senior Counsel & Director of Pro Bono at StandWithUs Saidoff Law.

“From the moment the words were spoken, I knew this was more than incivility — it was a deeply personal and antisemitic attack. I am grateful that the College took my complaint seriously, retained an independent investigator, and ultimately confirmed that what occurred constituted harassment and discrimination based on my Jewish identity. No Jewish faculty member, employee, or student should have to endure language, intimidation, or threats rooted in antisemitism, and I hope the actions taken here help ensure that such conduct is clearly recognized and prevented going forward. Beyond enforcing existing policies, I look to the College to expand their efforts to create a safe and welcoming environment with visible concrete steps — including professional development and training for employees, board members, and student leaders — to ensure that the kind of antisemitism I experienced is clearly understood and not repeated,” said Abigail Bornstein, Professor of Computer Networking and Information Technology at the City College of San Francisco.  

Recently, the Brandeis Center secured major settlements with UC Berkeley, Pomona College, UC Berkeley, Nysmith School, and the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys. The Brandeis Center has also been responsible for precedent-setting agreements with Harvard University, leading to Harvard implementing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism, and recognizing the centrality of Zionism to Jewish identity. In addition, the Brandeis Center reached a landmark agreement with Unilever over Ben & Jerry’s attempt to boycott Israel, marking one of the largest defeats over the BDS movement. The organization also recently helped Jews challenge discriminatory practices at Microsoft and the New York Legal Aid Group’s union.

A prominent force in the national legal fight against antisemitism, StandWithUs has helped secure almost a dozen settlements for Jewish employees in the past year. For example, StandWithUs recently helped procure a settlement with Northern Arizona University, with the university agreeing to implement a series of proactive measures aimed at fostering a more inclusive environment for Jewish students and faculty.  StandWithUs also regularly works directly with students to assist them in vindicating their legal rights on campus. In the past year, we have successfully helped students at dozens of colleges and universities across the country, including California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, The New School, University of Virginia, DePaul University, and Carnegie Mellon University, in their efforts to address incidents of campus antisemitism involving verbal, physical, and social media harassment, as well as threats of violence, intimidation, and retaliation. 

About the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law is an independent, unaffiliated, nonprofit corporation established to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. LDB engages in research, education, and legal advocacy to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses, in the workplace, and elsewhere. It empowers students by training them to understand their legal rights and educates administrators and employers on best practices to combat racism and anti-Semitism. The Brandeis Center is not affiliated with the Massachusetts university, the Kentucky law school, or any of the other institutions that share the name and honor the memory of the late U.S. Supreme Court justice.