Trump administration opens antisemitism probes at 5 universities

Article content

The U.S. Department of Education opened five investigations of alleged Jew-hatred on Monday, at Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, University of California, Berkeley and University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

The investigations, under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, come shortly after U.S. President Trump told the federal government to respond to Jew-hatred “vigorously.”

Article content

“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,” stated Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary of education for civil rights.

“The Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable,” Trainor said. “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 Je= hatred and the unlawful harassment and violence it animates.”

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, stated that “for the past two years, our committee has uncovered an appalling amount of antisemitism taking place on college campuses.”

“We’ve also heard heartbreaking testimony from Jewish college students who were excited to attend their dream university only to face threats and harassment from their own classmates and teachers,” he said. “I’m glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students and hold schools like Columbia, Northwestern, and UC Berkeley accountable for their failures.”

Article content

Kenneth Marcus, founder and chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, stated that “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 antisemitism crisis,” stated Marcus, a former U.S. assistant secretary of education for civil rights.

“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,” he added. “The Brandeis Center has been urging this approach since Oct. 7, 2023, and we were repeatedly disappointed that the prior administration failed to accept our recommendation.”

The Trump administration is sending a “clear sign” that it will “respond to campus antisemitism with the boldness, vigor and seriousness it deserves,” Marcus stated.

“This announcement is a win for anyone who cares about civil rights,” he added. “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.”

Share this article in your social network