In a House Committee on Education & the Workforce hearing on Thursday, the president of Northwestern University, the president of Rutgers University, and the chancellor of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) refused to say if pro-Hamas students should be expelled for barring Jewish students’ access to campus.
The hearing, “Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic College Chaos,” was the latest of many hearings directed at antisemitism that is prevalent on college campuses.
In the hearing, California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley asked the officials at UCLA, Rutgers and Northwestern if students who bar Jewish students from attending classes on campus would be expelled. All three refused to directly answer the question.
“President Holloway, is physically blocking students from entering your campus based on their race, religion or ethnicity an expellable offense?” Kiley asked Rutgers President Dr. Jonathan Holloway.
“That’s certainly a violation of our university standards,” Holloway said.
“Is it an expellable offense?” Kiley pressed.
“Potentially, it would be, sir. Depending on the circumstances of that specific instance,” Holloway said.
“President Schill, is excluding students, blocking students from entering campus based on their race, religion or ethnicity an expellable offense at your university?” Kiley asked Northwestern President Michael Schill.
“I would imagine it is a violation of our conduct code,” the president answered.
“Is it an expellable offense?” Kiley pressed. “Is it an expellable offense to physically obstruct students from entering campus?”
“There is a range of disciplines, up to and including being expelled for violations of the conduct code,” Schill answered.
“Is physically stopping students from entering your campus based on their race, religion or ethnicity an expellable offense?” Kiley asked UCLA Chancellor Dr. Gene Block.
“There’s a disciplinary process for students. It could be,” Block said.
Kiley then showed a clip of pro-Hamas supporters on UCLA’s campus not allowing a Jewish student to enter campus. Block said that he did not know if the individuals went to UCLA and alluded that no disciplinary action was taken.
Watch: @RepKiley gets "it depends" answers from three presidents on if barring students access to campus based on race, religion, or ethnicity is an expellable offense. pic.twitter.com/o33uHBQHgR
— House Committee on Education & the Workforce (@EdWorkforceCmte) May 23, 2024
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