DOJ Finds George Washington University Allowed Anti-Semitism

Protesters called Hamas terrorists ‘freedom fighters’ and yelled ’Zionists go die' as university police accused Jews of provoking the crowd, a DOJ report says.

A demonstrator holds a Palestinian flag as hundreds of people rally at George Washington University, in Washington on May 7, 2024. Allison Bailey/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

The Department of Justice announced on Aug. 12 that George Washington University violated civil rights by acting “deliberately indifferent to the hostile educational environment for Jewish, American Israeli, and Israeli students and faculty” despite receiving at least eight complaints about harassment and misconduct.

“Every student has the right to equal educational opportunities without fear of harassment or abuse,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement.

“No one is above the law, and universities that promulgate antisemitic discrimination will face legal consequences.”

The Aug. 12 notice of findings sent to George Washington University President Ellen Granberg described the behavior of students there directed at Jewish students, faculty, and employees as “shocking” and “demonstrably abhorrent, immoral, and, most importantly, illegal.”

This includes an encampment and pro-Palestinian protests that disrupted final exams and graduation activities between April and May of 2024. Campus disruptions began after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorist group and Israel’s military response in Gaza.

One student described being surrounded by protesters, harassed, and threatened outside the university law school before an assistant dean of students told him to leave the area because “his presence was antagonizing and provoking the crowd,” according to the findings.

Racial slurs were shouted at a student who carried a Jewish flag, and protestors would not let that student walk past them as a university police officer failed to intervene and then told that student to retreat for their own safety, the notice said.

Protesters also allegedly shouted expletives and slurs at another student, followed by remarks like “Zionist go die,” “Hamas are freedom fighters,” and “there is only one solution, Intifada revolution.” A university police officer also told that student to leave the area, according to the findings.

Under Civil Rights laws, the federal government can withhold funding to universities that allow discrimination against students based on race, religion, or place of origin. Trump previously signed executive orders reaffirming those federal laws and said dozens of colleges and universities will be investigated for campus anti-Semitism, violations of Title IX protections in women’s sports, and illegal DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) practices.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) gave George Washington University an Aug. 22 deadline to respond. The university will be allowed to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement to combat campus anti-Semitism, the notice said.

In an email response to The Epoch Times, George Washington University spokesperson Shannon McClendon said school administrators plan to respond to the DOJ’s notice promptly with proof that they have addressed concerns of anti-Semitism.

“We have taken appropriate action under university policy and the law to hold individuals or organizations accountable, including during the encampment, and we do not tolerate behavior that threatens our community or undermines meaningful dialogue,” McClendon said.

“We have worked diligently with members of GW’s Jewish community, as well as Jewish community organizations, city and federal authorities to protect the GW community from antisemitism and we remain committed to working with them to ensure every student has the right to equal educational opportunities without fear of harassment or abuse.”

A similar federal investigation recently took place at Columbia University, resulting in the university agreeing to pay a $200 million fine and $20 million in total payments to Jewish employees who were harassed by co-workers and students.

At UCLA, where university officials have also acknowledged campus anti-Semitism, the Trump administration is eyeing a $1 billion settlement, White House officials previously confirmed to The Epoch Times.