WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues recently penned a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona urging him to protect Jewish college students amid rising antisemitic incidents and attacks on college campuses in the aftermath of Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israel.
Since the Hamas-led massacre against Israel earlier this month, there has been a disturbing rise in antisemitic incidents, including targeted harassment and violent attacks directed at Jewish students on college campuses.
Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Department of Education has a responsibility to ensure university programs or activities that receive federal funds do not discriminate against students. So far, there has been no noticeable action from the Department in response to these horrific antisemitic incidents. The senators are urging the administration to use their enforcement power under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure colleges and universities uphold their responsibilities maintaining a safe learning environment for Jewish students and protect them from antisemitic harassment and attacks.
“We are significantly concerned that your Department is not ensuring American universities are fostering a safe learning environment for all students after the terrorist organization Hamas’ violent attack on civilians, including Americans and Israeli citizens,” the senators wrote.
“There have been dozens of targeted attacks on American college campuses since October 7, including reported vandalism, arson, and even professors taking discriminatory actions in their classroom toward their students, based on the student’s status as a member of a protected class. At Drexel University, a Jewish student's dorm room door was set on fire. At Georgia Tech, someone wrote ‘Free Palestine’ in shaving cream below the Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi’s posted Israeli flag. At Stanford University, a professor encouraged Jewish students to stand in a corner alone in a purported ‘academic’ exercise to show how Israel treats Palestinians. A professor and faculty advisor at the University of California Davis wrote a social media post appearing to call for Zionist journalists and their children to be murdered,” the senators continued.
“We look forward to an update regarding your efforts on the Antisemitism Awareness Campaign and broader enforcement of Title VI to ensure the Department and colleges and universities receiving Federal financial assistance protect Jewish students in the same capacity as other legally protected classes,” the senators concluded.
Read the full letter HERE.
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