Former Employee Sues Harvard Alleging Antisemitism in Firing

A former Harvard employee sued the University in federal court Friday, alleging that he was fired in retaliation for taking time off to observe the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.

Daniel Lilienthal, a former grant administrator at the Harvard School of Public Health, alleged in a 20-page complaint filed in the Southern District of New York that Harvard terminated him just over three weeks after he began a new position.

Lilienthal’s supervisor initially told him he was fired because she thought he was not “fit” for the role, according to the complaint, and then later reversed course and claimed he was fired for “performance issues.” The complaint also alleges that Lilienthal attempted to file an internal discrimination complaint with the University but was unable to do so because he was by then considered a formal employee.

The suit accuses Harvard of religious discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and New York state law. Lilienthal is seeking damages for emotional distress, reputational harm, and lost wages.

A spokesperson for Harvard did not respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit comes two months after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought against Harvard by the Department of Justice alleging the University was “deliberately indifferent” in its response to campus antisemitism following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The federal judge found that the incidents cited by the government were “too isolated and episodic” to constitute a civil rights violation. (The Justice Department appealed the case to the First Circuit two weeks later.)

The complaint specifically tied his firing to what it characterized as a track record of antisemitism by Harvard, alleging the actions taken against him “were willful and intentional as evidenced by their history of discrimination and retaliation towards Jewish employees and students.”

“Defendant’s history of antisemitism is well known and well documented,” lawyers for Lilienthal wrote. “Since the beginning of 2024, Defendant has faced multiple lawsuits alleging antisemitism and is currently embroiled in a very public battle with the federal government concerning Defendant’s failure to protect Jewish students.”

Lilienthal worked for Harvard for eight years, left briefly, and then returned in late Sept. 2024 to start a new role as Associate Director of Finance and Grants Administration at the Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, according to the complaint.

Lilienthal alleged in his complaint that trouble began when he took time off for the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4.

Though his supervisor, Executive Director for Finance, Administration & IT Jacqueline Blake, initially approved him taking time off, Lilienthal alleged that Blake brought “concerns” about his performance to human resources on the first day he took off.

Then, just three days after Lilienthal returned from his approved paid time off, Blake raised concerns about his performance on a Zoom conference call, citing his “management style,” incomplete on-boarding training, and his decision to take time off.

“Specifically, Ms. Blake discriminatorily stated ‘I don’t want you thinking you can just take off time whenever you want,’” lawyers for Lilienthal wrote.

Lilienthal was terminated nine days after the call, according to the complaint, and was told in a termination letter that he did not have the “skills or aptitudes” to conduct his job responsibilities.

He reported his termination to human resources as “a result of antisemitism,” according to the complaint, but was unable to appeal or file a discrimination complaint because he was considered a former employee.

Lilienthal first brought a charge with a University to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in July 2025, as required by federal law. The EEOC investigated the complaint, and Lilienthal received a formal notice that he could move forward with a lawsuit on July 14. He filed the case in federal court three months later.

—Staff writer Hugo C. Chiasson can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at hcc.35. Follow him on X @HugoChiassonn.

—Staff writer Elise A. Spenner can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at elisespenner.82. Follow her on X @EliseSpenner.