ACF Monitoring MIT’s Sanction of Professor Michel DeGraff

Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) is monitoring MIT’s disciplinary action against tenured linguistics professor Michel DeGraff, who has been sanctioned for disruptive conduct and violations of university procedures.

The New York Times reported on October 9 that MIT declined to approve DeGraff’s proposed course, titled “From the River to the Sea,” citing concerns about his qualifications to teach the subject. DeGraff has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that MIT violated his academic freedom. Separately, MIT sanctioned him for disruptive conduct and procedural violations and temporarily removed him from the linguistics section.

The disciplinary action follows allegations raised by former MIT doctoral student William Sussman and postdoctoral associate Lior Alon. In June 2025, Sussman, Alon, and the Louis D. Brandeis Center Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism filed a federal complaint naming both MIT and DeGraff, alleging that antisemitic harassment contributed to Sussman’s departure from MIT.

On January 5, 2026, U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns dismissed the claims against DeGraff in their entirety, along with several claims against MIT, and found that the Brandeis Center Coalition lacked standing. Ruling on a motion to dismiss, the court assumed the plaintiffs’ allegations to be true and decided only whether they were legally sufficient; it made no finding about whether the allegations were factually accurate. A separate claim brought by an anonymous plaintiff against MIT remains pending.

Academic freedom is fundamental to a university, and it does not exempt faculty from the conduct standards that apply to everyone on campus. Universities have an obligation to apply those standards consistently and to respond seriously to reports of harassment and discrimination.

Judge Stearns’s observation that MIT’s response “left much to be desired,” in a ruling that nonetheless dismissed the claims, underscores the gap between clearing a legal threshold and adequately addressing the concerns of the students and faculty who raised them. ACF will continue to monitor how MIT handles conduct that does not reach a courtroom.

About ACF: Alums for Campus Fairness (ACF) leverages the unique power of alumni to combat antisemitism on college campuses. ACF helps organize and cultivate alumni chapters for colleges and universities across the country, equipping members with tools, tactics, and training to proactively engage with administrators. Learn more at www.campusfairness.org.