The Education Department on Thursday named six colleges and universities and one K–12 public school district that are under investigation for possible anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim discrimination amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The department said it was investigating five claims of anti-Semitic harassment and two claims of anti-Muslim harassment.
The colleges and universities under investigation are Lafayette College, Cornell University, Columbia University, Wellesley College, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.
The department said it was also investigating Maize Unified School District in Kansas.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the investigations underscore the Biden administration’s commitment to protect students from hatred and discrimination.
“Hate has no place in our schools, period,” Mr. Cardona said in a statement.
“When students are targeted because they are—or are perceived to be—Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must act to ensure safe and inclusive educational environments where everyone is free to learn,” he added.
All colleges, universities, and K–12 schools that receive federal funds must comply with Title VI, a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on national origin, shared ancestry, and ethnic characteristics.
Schools that violate the law and refuse to address the problems could risk losing federal funding or being referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for further action, according to the department.
“I emphasize that the Office for Civil Rights reaches conclusions at the end of investigations and that a school’s appearance on this list does not reflect a conclusion that the law has been violated,” said Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary of education for civil rights.
Universities in the Spotlight
The ongoing Israel–Hamas war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 deadly terror attack on Israeli border communities, has triggered protests and debates at some U.S. universities.The university found that SJP had violated school policies by projecting messages onto the Gelman Library, which included “GW the blood of Palestine is on your hands” and “Your tuition is funding genocide in Gaza.”
Columbia University recently suspended its SJP and Jewish Voice for Peace chapters, citing repeated violations of university policies related to campus protests calling for a ceasefire in the war.
The four-page measure, introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), condemned “the support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations at institutions of higher education, which may lead to the creation of a hostile environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff.”
It called on colleges and universities to condemn all forms of antisemitism on college campuses; to ensure Jewish faculty, students, and guests can exercise the same Free Speech rights as are guaranteed to all other faculty, students, and guests without intimidation; and “urges enforcement of Federal civil rights laws to protect Jewish students from antisemitism.”
The resolution criticizes higher education institutions for not speaking unequivocally about—or taking adequate action to combat—anti-Semitism on campus.
There was a 388 percent spike in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States between Oct. 7 and Oct. 23, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
