ACLJ Reaches Settlement on Behalf of Jewish Professor in Major Antisemitism Case Against the University of Maryland, College Park

The ACLJ has just secured a favorable settlement for a Jewish professor, Dr. Melissa Landa, who was dismissed from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) after becoming vocal about her Jewish faith. The settlement comes after a long-fought legal battle against the University for discrimination and wrongful termination.

As we detail in the complaint and other documents filed in the case, Dr. Melissa Landa had a successful career at the University of Maryland for 10 years. In September 2005, she began as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. In 2007, Dr. Landa was offered and accepted a full-time faculty position with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. During her career at UMD, Dr. Landa received several awards, including the College of Education’s Excellence in Teaching Award and the College of Education’s Exceptional Scholarship Award. She also received a letter of commendation for her contributions to the Education Abroad Program from UMD’s Associate Vice President for International Affairs. Dr. Landa was an excellent, competent, and beloved teacher who always got high reviews.

In late 2015, Dr. Landa began organizing a group of Oberlin College alumni to address antisemitism on college campuses. In 2016, she became an affiliate professor at the University of Haifa – a gesture of solidarity with Israeli scholars who are being ostracized by the academic boycotts against Israel. She also joined the Academic Engagement Network (AEN), which is an organization of American college and university faculty who oppose the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement – an international campaign that denies the Jewish people their right to national self-determination in their ancestral homeland, Israel. As Dr. Landa later testified in the case, she was discouraged from participating in these activities and told not to display an Israeli flag in her office.

Shortly after these events, and following her trip to Israel, Dr. Landa’s job responsibilities in the department were slowly diminished, and she was removed from teaching a course that she had helped develop. She began raising concerns about religious discrimination, but those concerns fell on deaf ears, and her contract of employment was not renewed. Dr. Landa filed a complaint of religious discrimination and retaliation with the EEOC. Following a full investigation, the EEOC issued a determination letter finding there was strong evidence that Dr. Landa was discharged in retaliation and urged the University to settle the case. UMD refused.

The ACLJ filed a lawsuit against UMD in January 2022 in federal court. Throughout the litigation, UMD attempted several times to convince the court to dismiss Dr. Landa’s claims. The court declined to do so, ruling each time that Dr. Landa had sufficiently alleged religious discrimination in violation of Title VII.

Shortly thereafter, the parties reached a settlement whereby the University agreed to pay damages and attorney’s fees in the amount of $140,000.

Dr. Landa has since obtained employment elsewhere and does not wish to return to UMD’s campus.

The ACLJ remains committed to defending Jewish students and professors alike – and Christians who support Israel – from invidious discrimination. If you face such discrimination for your faith, reach out to us at ACLJ.org/HELP.