The Department of Education is investigating reports of anti-Semitism committed at five universities following student protests that erupted across college campuses following the events of Oct. 7, 2023, according to a press release.
The following article is a part of University Business’ ongoing coverage of President Donald J. Trump’s impact on higher education during his second term in office. Click here for the latest updates.
The Department’s civil rights office opened claims against Columbia University; Northwestern University; Portland State University; The University of California, Berkeley; and The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“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,” Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in the release. “The Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable.”
The press release credited the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for the department’s continued inquiry into school conduct to prevent discrimination and harassment. Its report last year found higher education leaders “overwhelmingly failed” to protect or support their Jewish students and made “astounding concessions” to continued forms of protest.
It’s also the same House subcommittee that led Congressional hearings on administrator responses to campus anti-Semitism. The former presidents of Harvard, UPenn and Columbia all stepped down shortly after testifying.
The press release comes only five days after President Donald Trump released an executive order pledging to hold higher education more accountable for anti-Semitism. It’s unclear how this investigation will be impacted following speculation that President Trump is poised to sign an executive order to severely diminish the powers of the Education Department and eventually shut it down.
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