WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – Pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order, Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, the U.S. Department of Education on Monday, Feb. 3, announced investigations into five institutions of higher education where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported. The investigations are in response to the explosion of antisemitism on American campuses following the Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is opening the investigations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964), which protects students from discrimination and harassment based on national origin, including shared ancestry. The schools are:
- Columbia University
- Northwestern University
- Portland State University
- The University of California, Berkeley
- The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
“Too many universities have tolerated widespread antisemitic harassment and the illegal encampments that paralyzed campus life last year, driving Jewish life and religious expression underground. The Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable,” said Craig Trainor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. “Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses, nor will it stand by idly if universities fail to combat Jew hatred and the unlawful harassment and violence it animates.”
These investigations build upon the foundational work of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce under then-Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, which found that university administrations “overwhelmingly failed” to protect or support their Jewish students, even making “astounding concessions” to illegal, anti-American encampments.
The Department of Education looks forward to working with the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services as a part of today’s announced task force to combat antisemitism.
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Preceding provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
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Reaction
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law today applauded the announcement by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to open proactive investigations into anti-Semitism at five higher education campuses.
The Brandeis Center is currently suing UC Berkeley, one of the schools being investigated, for the “longstanding, unchecked spread of anti-Semitism.”
“This is exactly the right step to be taking and the right time to be taking it. The administration is sending a clear message to the higher education community that the U.S. Department of Education is prioritizing the current anti-Semitism crisis,” said Kenneth L. Marcus, Founder and Chairman of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights who ran OCR for Presidents Bush and Trump.
“Rather than sitting back and waiting for complaints to pile up, federal investigators are finally doing their jobs: identifying colleges that need to be investigated, and taking firm, public measures where needed. The cavalry has arrived. The Brandeis Center has been urging this approach since October 7, 2023, and we were repeatedly disappointed that the prior administration failed to accept our recommendation.”
“This is a clear sign that this administration will respond to campus anti-Semitism with the boldness, vigor, and seriousness it deserves. At a time when anti-Semitism has continued to rise across the nation, we commend Secretary Linda McMahon and Acting Assistant Secretary Craig Trainor for holding our universities accountable to provide safe, inclusive environments for all students, and we look forward to the results of these investigations and any action to follow. This announcement is a win for anyone who cares about civil rights — the Department of Education is showing us today that it can, and will, build on the White House’s bold Executive Orders with enforcement and action around the country,” added Marcus.
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Preceding provided by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.