The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into seven schools over allegations of antisemitism and “Islamophobia,” the department announced Friday.
"Hate has no place in our schools, period. 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,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.
A press release from the Education Department noted that its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) website will be updated weekly to reflect the list of schools that are under investigation.
According to the website, several Ivy League universities are under investigation over antisemitic harassment or anti-Muslim harassment. This includes Cornell University, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Other schools listed include Wellesley College, Lafayette College, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and the Maize Unified School District in Kansas.
These institutions were notified of the investigations within the last 24 hours.
Just In: @EDcivilrights releases list of higher education and K-12 institutions under investigation for alleged shared ancestry violations of Title VI. https://t.co/50H0rAJiUf pic.twitter.com/NzgnNnKz2m
— U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) November 17, 2023
"Hate has no place in our schools, period. 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...” - @SecCardona
— U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) November 17, 2023
On Friday, Cardona told CNN that he believes more investigations will be coming.
“If an institution refuses to follow the law to protect students, we would withhold dollars,” Cardona said.
In recent weeks, Townhall has reported several instances of antisemitism on college campuses. At Columbia University, a coalition of student groups signed and published a statement blaming Israel and the U.S. for Hamas’ invasion and calling for “liberation.” And, last week, in a House Judiciary hearing, several pro-Palestinian protestors interrupted the statements of conservative and Jewish college students who were speaking out about how their right to free speech is suppressed on college campuses.
One student in particular, Amanda Silberstein, a Jewish student at Cornell University, was interrupted by a “Free Palestine” protestor as she was in the middle of explaining how she experienced a violent threat from another student on campus, which Townhall covered.
"Imagine scrolling on your phone one day only to discover that a fellow student wants to shoot up the Kosher dinning hall and, I quote, 'gang rape all Jew pig women on campus.,” she explained. “That is what my peers and I experienced last week when reading the multiple online threats made by a fellow student instructing other Cornell students to assault Jews on campus. To, ‘follow them home and slit their throats.’”