ALCCA Calls on TMU to Release the Independent Antisemitism Report
- ALCCA Staff
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
We learned this past Friday that the Honourable Mary Lou Benotto, retained to conduct an independent review of TMU's management of campus protests and related incidents, has completed her report and submitted it to TMU's administration. TMU committed to publicly releasing her report once it had been completed. It is imperative that TMU immediately do so.
Our Vice-Chair Bonnie Goldberg’s letter to President Lachemi is reproduced immediately below. It speaks for itself. The time is long overdue for effective action by universities and colleges to combat antisemitism. At TMU, this should start with the release of the independent reviewer’s report.
ALCCA Letter to Toronto Metropolitan University Regarding the Public Release of the Benotto Report
August 4, 2026
President Mohamed Lachemi
Toronto Metropolitan University
350 Victoria Street
Toronto, ON M5B 2K3
Dear President Lachemi,
I write in my capacity as Vice-Chair of the Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism, a coalition of more than 70 organizations and community groups, Jewish and non-Jewish, as well as diverse community leaders, formed to address the rise of antisemitic activity across Canada, particularly in relation to Canadian university and college campuses.
Like many of our member organizations, we remain deeply concerned about the unrelenting and rising antisemitism and antizionism on Canadian campuses.
We are eager to learn the outcome of the independent review commissioned by TMU and conducted by retired Court of Appeal Justice Mary Lou Benotto. She was to examine several deeply disturbing incidents at or near TMU as well as serious systemic issues relating to antisemitism on or associated with TMU's campus.
One of our member organizations, the Network of Engaged Canadian Academics (NECA) wrote to Justice Benotto on July 15, 2026 inquiring as to the status of her report. NECA's letter included the following passages:
As a national organization concerned with the precipitous rise in antisemitism and antizionism on Canadian campuses, we were encouraged by the decision of TMU leadership to publicly announce their intention to conduct a fulsome independent review of anti-Jewish hostility at TMU following the November 9, 2025 attack on Jewish students but not limited to this event. We applaud TMU’s decision to engage in a fully transparent, comprehensive, and independent process led by a highly respected justice. NECA is particularly interested in your [Justice Benotto's] review and report as well as the insights it will undoubtedly provide not only to ameliorate the climate at TMU but also to address similar issues that other campuses may be experiencing.
We are inquiring about the status of the review and your report because NECA is extremely concerned about the continuing safety, security, and well-being of Jewish students and faculty on campuses and because there is strong public interest in ensuring that the report be released in sufficient time to address the issues at TMU and at other Canadian universities and colleges before the commencement of the rapidly approaching new school year.
Can you please advise NECA as to: 1) whether your review has been completed, 2) whether your report has been completed, and 3) if completed, when the report will be released publicly as promised in the statement made by TMU leadership last year?
On Friday, July 31, 2026, Justice Benotto advised NECA as follows:
Thank you for your inquiry.
In accordance with the Terms of Reference, I have submitted my report. I am not in a position to comment further.
The commitment by TMU to share the report publicly upon its completion with full transparency accompanied the initial announcement of the independent review and was repeated as its scope was expanded.
It is nearly 10 months since you made this commitment. The review and the report have now been completed and provided to you. The new academic year is rapidly approaching. The dire situation for the Jewish community on campuses continues.
We, like many of our allied and Jewish organizations, including NECA, remain deeply concerned about the continuing safety, security, and well-being of Jewish students, staff, and faculty on campuses. There is a strong public interest in ensuring that Justice Benotto's report is released in a timely fashion to prevent further escalation on campus this fall and to begin the important task of implementing systemic recommendations for change.
Please advise us immediately as to when we can expect to see the public release of Justice Benotto's report. Any delay in doing so will severely undermine confidence in the process.
Yours truly,
Bonnie Goldberg,
Vice-Chair, Alliance of Canadians Combatting Antisemitism (ALCCA)