A former Harvard University finance administrator has filed a federal lawsuit against the institution, alleging religious discrimination after taking paid time off to observe Rosh Hashanah.
Daniel Lilienthal filed the complaint last Friday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, naming the president and fellows of Harvard College as the defendants. According to the filing, Lilienthal worked remotely from New York as the associate director of the Finance and Grants Administration at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research (CBAR).
Lilienthal, who previously worked for Harvard for eight years before returning in September 2024, alleged that his direct supervisor, Jackie Blake, approved his request for paid time off on October 3 and 4, 2024, to observe the Jewish High Holy Day.
However, the lawsuit claims that immediately following his disclosure and observance of the day, he faced sudden heightened scrutiny and manufactured performance concerns. According to the complaint, Blake contacted human resources on the first day of his holiday leave to voice concerns, despite providing no prior negative feedback during his initial business days.
Increased scrutiny after returning from Rosh Hashanah holiday
Upon returning to work, Blake confronted Lilienthal over uncompleted training modules that carried no prior deadlines and allegedly told him, “I don’t want you thinking you can just take off time whenever you want.”
On October 16, 2024, just the 15th business day of his tenure, Lilienthal was terminated via a Zoom call.
When he asked if he was being fired for performance or wrongdoing, Blake allegedly responded, “No.” A day later, HR provided a termination letter citing a lack of “skills or aptitudes,” which the lawsuit calls a pretextual justification.
Lilienthal is suing under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law, seeking damages for financial loss, emotional distress, and career damage, alongside a jury trial. Harvard has faced mounting public scrutiny and litigation regarding allegations of antisemitism and campus climate issues since early 2024.
Harvard did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.