Appeal Filed In Harvard Circumcision Case

CAMBRIDGE, MA — A former Harvard University systems administrator is appealing a judge's decisions to dismiss his federal lawsuit against the university, Harvard's independent student newspaper and 10 unnamed 'donors and alumni' for defamation, libel and violating the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act.

Eric Clopper also accused the university of violating his First Amendment rights. In his July complaint, Clopper said the university fired him and the newspaper libeled him after his 2018 performance at the Sanders Theatre on the Harvard campus. He was seeking $500,000.

On Tuesday, Clopper filed a notice of appeal for the judge's dismissal of his lawsuits. The lawsuit against the university was dismissed on Oct. 14, while the suit against the Harvard Crimson was dismissed on Nov. 5.

Clopper, who is Jewish, used the May 2018 performance to criticize the practice of circumcision. During the performance, he took off his clothes and called Jewish people "an unmasked genital mutilation cult."

In a theater review, the Harvard Crimson called the show a "nude, anti-Semitic rant." Harvard fired Clopper on July 12 because the show had been held during his scheduled work hours.

"It is plausible that The Crimson’s defamatory coverage of Clopper’s Play caused Jewish donors and other stakeholders to exert pressure on Harvard via harsh letters, communications, and other quid pro quo arrangements to retaliate against Clopper, which resulted in the loss of Clopper’s profession and other damages," Clopper said in his July complaint.

Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).