President Trump’s administration has launched a review into the recent antisemitic activity at the University of Washington (UW) and its affiliates.
The review was announced on Tuesday evening by the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services (HHS), and the General Services Administration (GSA), a day after around 30 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on the school’s Seattle campus.
Trump’s administration welcomed the school’s condemnation of the protestors from Monday night and the police’s arrests of demonstrators but noted that UW “must do more to deter future violence and guarantee that Jewish students have a safe and productive learning environment.”
“The violence and chaos that ensued on University of Washington’s campus is yet another horrifying display of the antisemitic harassment and lawlessness which has characterized many of our nation’s elite campuses over the last several years. This destructive behavior is unacceptable,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement.
“The Task Force will not allow these so-called ‘protesters’ to disrupt campus life and deprive students, especially Jewish students who live in fear on campus, of their equal opportunity protections and civil rights,” McMahon added.
The Hill has reached out to UW’s spokesperson for comment.
The review comes after pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with law enforcement at UW’s campus Monday night. The demonstrators occupied the school’s new engineering building, demanding that the research institution end its ties with Boeing, The Hill’s sister network NewsNation reported. The defense manufacturer provided funding for the building’s construction.
The occupation lasted for several hours, and protesters caused extensive damage to the building. Those arrested face charges of property destruction, trespassing and disorderly conduct.
UW said it “strongly condemns this illegal building occupation” and added that the school “will not be intimidated by this sort of offensive and destructive behavior and will continue to oppose antisemitism in all its forms.”
UW was one of the 60 colleges and universities that were threatened to have their federal funding cut if they did not do more to shield their Jewish students on campus from discrimination.
The review is similar to the action the administration has taken against Harvard University and Columbia University. The administration cut $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University in light of the antisemitism probe into the Ivy League institution.
Trump warned in early March that all federal funding would end for colleges and universities that allow “illegal protests.
“Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump said in a March 4 post on Truth Social.
