Staffer sues Emerson, claiming she was terminated for pro-Palestinian activism

A former Emerson College employee filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging the school terminated her employment because of her political activism and her choice to screen a film that touched on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The lawsuit follows a year of political unrest at universities and the announcement last month from the Trump administration that Emerson College is among the 60 campuses across the country under investigation for antisemitism.

Anna Feder is a Jewish educator and filmmaker who worked at Emerson College for 17 years, according to the lawsuit. Feder claims that members of the university's administration “expressed displeasure” at her pro-Palestinian activism, including her presence at the protest encampment at Emerson in April 2024, and terminated her employment after she screened the documentary “Israelism” about Jewish Americans’ views of Israel.

A spokesperson for Emerson said the college took several steps to cut costs in the summer of 2024, including eliminating a small number of positions and programs.

“The College adamantly denies any wrongdoing in this cost-reduction process and is confident that the facts fully support its position,” she said.

As head of the film exhibition and festival programs, Feder led Emerson's Bright Lights Cinema series. According to the lawsuit, the program screened documentaries highlighting “marginalized perspectives and social issues,” including subjects like environmental justice, race and disability rights.

Feder planned to screen “Israelism” as part of the Bright Lights lineup in November 2023. Feder says she chose to include the film in the series before the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

The lawsuit claims Emerson "pressured” Feder to delay the screening and her supervisor said the university would "publicly disavow” the film if it was shown on the original date. Feder alleges she was also told the college would require her to place armed officers inside the theater during the screening. Feder rescheduled the event for February 2024.

A spokesperson for Emerson posted a statement on the college's website before the film's February screening.

“The screening of films in this series does not connote endorsement or support of the film’s content by Emerson College or the Visual and Media Arts Department,” Communications Director Rosemary Lavery wrote in the statement. “Emerson prides itself on being a community of diverse people and perspectives that values social justice and free expression while also protecting our community from bias, threats, and intimidation.”

Feder claims in the lawsuit that she had not seen this kind of statement issued for other films in the Bright Lights series.

Despite concerns about the film, the screening of “Israelism” allegedly had a full house and went smoothly. Feder partnered with groups including the Boston Palestine Film Festival, IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace.

According to the lawsuit, the Emerson administration required Feder to get approval for films included in the series for the 2024-25 academic year. But by August 2024, the college canceled the Bright Lights series and told her she was being laid off. Feder claims she was barred from campus in her final 60 days of employment.

The film series’ website and social media account were deleted.

Emerson College has said the cancellation of the film series and the termination of Feder's employment were due to budget cuts and the fact that the program did not directly connect with the core curriculum at the school. As previously reported by WBUR, some faculty and staff have voiced concerns that these decisions were related to the politically-charged content of the film and the political activism of Feder.

The lawsuit, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, seeks compensation for Feder's loss of wages and benefits, and damage to her reputation.