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🇮🇱 Israel /Crime & Justice

Boston Medical Center accused of retaliating against Jewish intern who reported antisemitism

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A federal civil rights group filed a complaint accusing Boston Medical Center of retaliating against a Jewish Israeli intern.
  • The intern reported antisemitic posters at a colleague's desk and subsequently faced ostracization and a negative evaluation.
  • The complaint seeks a revised evaluation, a reference letter, and the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism.

A federal civil rights group has filed a complaint against Boston Medical Center, alleging the hospital retaliated against a Jewish Israeli intern after she reported encountering antisemitic material at work. The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law filed the complaint with the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR).

that the victim was physically separated from the rest of the clinical team, excluded from routine professional interactions and group lunches, denied patient debriefs and mentorship opportunities.

— ComplaintThe complaint details the alleged ostracization faced by the intern after reporting antisemitic material.

The complaint claims the medical center violated federal civil rights law by ostracizing the intern and giving her a negative evaluation. The incident occurred in May 2025 when the intern saw posters on a colleague's desk with messages like “they killed our babies” and “they stole our lands.” After reporting these displays to her supervisors and returning from a trip to Israel, the posters were removed, but the alleged retaliation began.

included some negative scoring and comments that blamed her for the environment that she was experiencing as a result of the ostracization from her colleagues.

— Rebecca HarrisRebecca Harris, a litigation staff attorney at the Brandeis Center, described the negative evaluation given to the intern.

According to the complaint, the intern was "physically separated from the rest of the clinical team, excluded from routine professional interactions and group lunches, and denied patient debriefs and mentorship opportunities." Her final evaluation reportedly included negative comments and scoring that blamed her for the workplace environment created by her colleagues' alleged ostracization. This evaluation, the Brandeis Center argues, threatens her professional prospects, forcing her to omit supervisors from job references.

blamed her for the “breakdown in workplace relationships caused by their colleagues’ alleged ostracization and exclusion.”

— Intern's evaluationThe intern's final evaluation allegedly attributed workplace relationship issues to her colleagues' actions.

The Brandeis Center is requesting that HHS OCR compel Boston Medical Center to revise the intern's evaluation, provide a reference letter that accurately reflects her clinical performance, and adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination and retaliation in programs receiving federal funding.

professional prospects

— ComplaintThe complaint states the negative evaluation poses a threat to the intern's future career opportunities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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