A Jewish man who was pardoned after being accused of assaulting a pro-Palestinian protester outside a New Jersey synagogue in 2024 sued a slew of local officials over the matter on Nov. 10.
The lawsuit centers on a November 2024 protest outside Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, New Jersey. Several dozen anti-Israel demonstrators gathered to protest a real estate fair promoting living in Israel, but it turned into a brawl, with clashes between activists and worshipers.
Moshe Glick was charged in part with assaulting protester Altaf Sharif, though he has maintained that he was defending another Jewish man being attacked, David Silberberg. Then-New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy pardoned Glick before leaving office in January.
Among other claims, Glick's
lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey accuses officials – including the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, the Township of West Orange, and West Orange Police Department personnel – of failing to protect the synagogue and its worshipers despite having advance notice of the demonstration, and of continuing to investigate him despite the pardon. He also alleges that officials violated his First Amendment rights to freedom of religion, free speech and freedom to petition.
The lawsuit comes weeks after a federal judge dismissed the Justice Department's 2025 lawsuit over the incident. President Donald Trump's administration had accused a number of organizations and individuals involved in the demonstration of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
The law prohibits “intentionally injuring, intimidating or interfering with” a person attempting to seek or provide services at a reproductive health facility or place of worship. It specifies, however, that the act should not be used to “prohibit any expressive conduct – including peaceful picketing or other peaceful demonstration” protected by the First Amendment.
The court's late September opinion said the government hadn't adequately alleged that the defendants intentionally interfered with worship and that the facts of the case may "just as easily support" the notion that Glick and Silberberg violated Sharif's First Amendment right to protest.
Lawsuit claims violations of constitutional rights, state law
The new complaint alleges 17 violations of Glick's rights, though not every claim was asserted against every defendant.
It accused some of malicious prosecution in violation of both federal and state law, for example, by allegedly prosecuting Glick without having probable cause.
Others were accused of violating the Fourteenth Amendment by allegedly creating or relying on "materially false narratives and omissions likely to influence charging and prosecution."
The lawsuit also alleged that Glick's "religious exercise and association were a substantial or motivating factor in the decision to charge him."
The prosecutor's office and township were among those accused of conspiracy by allegedly reaching an agreement to prosecute Glick "as the wrongdoer by coordinating narratives, withholding exculpatory video and advancing charges unsupported by probable cause."
Antisemitism 'signals deeper erosion of democratic values,' Glick says
Glick previously testified about the 2024 incident to Trump's Religious Liberty Commission at its hearing on antisemitism in February and thanked the administration for getting involved.
"Societies that fail to protect their Jews – or worse, turn against them – often hasten their own decline," Glick said, according to a hearing transcript. "When antisemitism becomes policy or norm, it signals deeper erosion of democratic values, tolerance and liberty."
Among other requests, Glick's lawsuit asked the court to order the township and its police department, as well as the county prosecutor's office, to "implement policies, procedures and training to prevent religious and political discrimination in law enforcement and prosecution decisions."
The prosecutor's office declined to comment. USA TODAY also reached out to the township and police department.
BrieAnna Frank's role covering First Amendment issues at USA TODAY is made possible by a collaboration among Freedom Forum, Journalism Funding Partners and the USA TODAY Network. Freedom Forum does not provide editorial input. Reach BrieAnna at bjfrank@usatoday.com and @brieannafrank on X and Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jewish man sues officials over 2024 synagogue brawl
