U.S. Department of Education warns 60 universities over antisemitism allegations

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued formal warnings to 60 universities across the country, cautioning them about potential enforcement actions if they fail to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment and discrimination. The letters, sent today, remind institutions of their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to ensure Jewish students have uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities.

Newly appointed Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon expressed disappointment over the continued safety concerns Jewish students face on U.S. campuses. “The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year. University leaders must do better,” McMahon stated.

She also emphasized that universities benefit from substantial public funding, contingent on strict adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws.

The list of universities receiving warnings includes prominent institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University, Columbia University, the University of Michigan, and Princeton University. The complete list encompasses universities across various states, including public and private institutions, all currently under investigation for potential Title VI violations related to antisemitic harassment.

Federal Crackdown on Antisemitism in Higher Education

The Department has already launched directed investigations into five universities where reports of antisemitic harassment have been prevalent. The remaining 55 institutions are under active investigation or federal monitoring due to formal complaints filed with OCR.

This follows Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s threat on X to deport green card holders participating in pro-Palestine protests, signaling a significant escalation in President Donald Trump’s crackdown on student activists. The Crowd Counting Consortium (CCC), a research collaboration between the Ash Center’s Nonviolent Action Lab and the University of Connecticut, has closely tracked U.S. protest events, including pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Since October 7, 2023, CCC has recorded over 3,700 protest days at 525 schools across 317 U.S. cities, with demands including an end to genocide in Gaza, Palestinian liberation, and institutional divestment from financial ties to Israel and weapons manufacturers. While only a tiny fraction of these protests have involved property damage or injuries, police have arrested more than 3,600 participants, and public figures continue to characterize the movement as violent despite data showing that police or counter-protesters have injured protesters at similar rates.

In a move last week, the Department of Education, along with the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. General Services Administration, announced the cancellation of $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University over allegations that it failed to adequately protect Jewish students.

Institutions Facing Scrutiny

The schools that received letters from the Office for Civil Rights include:  

1. American University 
2. Arizona State University 
3. Boston University 
4. Brown University 
5. California State University, Sacramento 
6. Chapman University 
7. Columbia University 
8. Cornell University 
9. Drexel University 
10. Eastern Washington University 
11. Emerson College 
12. George Mason University 
13. Harvard University 
14. Illinois Wesleyan University 
15. Indiana University, Bloomington 
16. Johns Hopkins University 
17. Lafayette College 
18. Lehigh University 
19. Middlebury College 
20. Muhlenberg College 
21. Northwestern University 
22. Ohio State University 
23. Pacific Lutheran University     
24. Pomona College 
25. Portland State University 
26. Princeton University 
27. Rutgers University 
28. Rutgers University-Newark
29. Santa Monica College 
30. Sarah Lawrence College 
31. Stanford University 
32. State University of New York Binghamton 
33. State University of New York Rockland 
34. State University of New York, Purchase 
35. Swarthmore College 
36. Temple University 
37. The New School 
38. Tufts University 
39. Tulane University 
40. Union College 
41. University of California Davis 
42. University of California San Diego 
43. University of California Santa Barbara 
44. University of California, Berkeley
45. University of Cincinnati 
46. University of Hawaii at Manoa 
47. University of Massachusetts Amherst 
48. University of Michigan 
49. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 
50. University of North Carolina 
51. University of South Florida 
52. University of Southern California 
53. University of Tampa 
54. University of Tennessee 
55. University of Virginia 
56. University of Washington-Seattle 
57. University of Wisconsin, Madison 
58. Wellesley College 
59. Whitman College 
60. Yale University 

As investigations continue, schools under scrutiny may face funding consequences similar to Columbia University if they fail to demonstrate compliance with federal law. Last Friday, OCR directed its enforcement staff to make resolving the backlog of complaints alleging antisemitic violence and harassment, many of which were allowed to languish unresolved under the previous administration, an immediate priority.