For a sixth time in six months, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing regarding the rise of antisemitism on college campuses. This latest hearing occurred just weeks after thousands of students and pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police and counterprotesters at college campuses across the country, including Rutgers, Harvard, Columbia and the University of California, Los Angeles.
The disruptions led some universities to change venues for their graduation ceremonies or cancel them altogether.
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During the hearing, representatives questioned the leaders of Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., addressed Northwestern University President Michael Schill, asking about the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) report card. She pointed out that Northwestern was the only university whose grade was downgraded and inquired about the “F” grade for failing to combat antisemitism. Schill expressed his respect for the ADL and acknowledged the downgrade.
In another exchange, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., asked UCLA Chancellor Dr. Gene Block about the consequences for racists calling for genocide. Block mentioned student disciplinary processes, but Chavez-DeRemer emphasized that anything less than a suspension would be insufficient.
Hundreds of investigations are pending at several colleges to determine whether students or staff will face disciplinary action for their roles in campus clashes involving Jewish or Muslim students.
On April 30, police arrested over 200 protesters on UCLA’s campus after violence erupted between protesters and counterprotesters. Law enforcement delayed its response for nearly three hours, but eventually, officers from the LAPD and campus police stepped in to stop the violence and removed pro-Palestinian barricades and encampments.
Critics raised concerns about how the university handled the chaotic situation. In response, UCLA established a new Office of Campus Safety to oversee the campus police department. The university also reassigned Campus Police Chief John Thomas temporarily for an investigation into campus security protocol.
Several colleges are facing lawsuits related to students’ civil rights. In the lawsuits, students claimed that administrators failed to keep them safe during anti-Israel protests.
Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., emphasized that this hearing is just the beginning of Congress probing college administrators over antisemitism on college campuses. She warned university presidents that they would be held accountable for their records and that Congress would not tolerate violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, failure to protect Jewish students or deals advancing divestment, terrorism, radicalism and antisemitic ideologies.
Meanwhile, hundreds of students walked out of Harvard’s commencement ceremony Thursday, May 23, chanting “Free, Free Palestine.” The university barred 13 students from receiving their diplomas due to their participation in pro-Palestinian encampments on campus.
Tags: antisemitism, California, Columbia University, Elise Stefanik, Harvard, House of Representatives, Israel, Los Angeles, Northwestern, Palestine, Virginia Foxx
FOR A 6TH TIME IN 6 MONTHS – A HOUSE COMMITTEE HELD A HEARING REGARDING THE RISE OF ANTI SEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
THIS LATEST ONE – JUST WEEKS AFTER THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AND PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS CLASHED WITH POLICE AND COUNTER-PROTESTERS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY – INCLUDING THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES, RUTGERS, HARVARD, AND COLUMBIA.
THE DISRUPTIONS EVEN CAUSED SOME UNIVERSITIES TO CHANGE VENUES FOR THEIR GRADUATION CEREMONIES OR CANCEL THEM ALL TOGETHER.
THE LEADERS OF NORTHWESTERN, RUTGERS, AND UCLA – WERE GRILLED ON CAPITOL HILL THURSDAY.
STEFANIK:
“MR. SCHILL, THE ADL RELEASED ITS REPORT CARD FOR UNIVERSITIES RESPONSES TO ANTI SEMITISM AND YOU’RE AWARE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY WAS THE ONLY UNIVERSITY WHOSE GRADE WAS DOWN-GRADED, CORRECT?
SCHILL:
“YES, I AM AWARE OF THAT.”
STEFANIK:
“AND ISN’T IT ALSO TRUE THAT THE NORTHWESTERN EARNED AN ‘F’ FOR YOUR FAILURE TO RESPOND ON COMBATING ANTISEMITISM AND THEY CALLED FOR YOUR RESIGNATION. IS THAT CORRECT?
SCHILL:
“I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE ADL.”
STEFANIK:
“I’M NOT ASKING YOUR RESPECT FOR THE ADL. I’M ASKING, ISN’T IT A FACT YOU EARNED AN ‘F’ AND THEY CALLED FOR YOUR RESIGNATION?”
SCHILL:
“I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR THE ADL. I AM SAD THAT THEY GAVE NORTHWESTERN AN ‘F’”
STEFANIK:
“BUT IT’S TRUE. YOU GOT AN ‘F’ YES!”
CHAVEZ-DEREMER:
“WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR RACISTS CALLING FOR GENOCIDE?”
BLOCK: “STUDENT DISCIPLINARY PROCESSES, IF THERE’S COMPLAINTS AND THEY CAN IDENTIFY THE STUDENT, THEY’LL GO THROUGH A DISCIPLINARY PROCESS.”
“BUT ANYTHING LESS THAN A SUSPENSION, IN MY OPINION, IS INSUFFICIENT.”>
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
HUNDREDS OF INVESTIGATIONS ARE PENDING AT SEVERAL COLLEGES –
TO DECIDE IF STUDENTS OR STAFF WILL FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR THEIR ROLES IN CAMPUS CLASHES WITH JEWISH OR MUSLIM STUDENTS.
ON APRIL 30TH, MORE THAN 200 PROTESTERS WERE ARRESTED ON UCLA’S CAMPUS – AFTER VIOLENCE ERUPTED BETWEEN PROTESTERS AND COUNTER-PROTESTERS – AND LAW ENFORCEMENT DELAYED ITS RESPONSE FOR NEARLY THREE HOURS.
EVENTUALLY, OFFICERS WITH THE LAPD AND CAMPUS POLICE STEPPED IN TO STOP THE VIOLENCE AND EVENTUALLY REMOVED PRO-PALESTINIAN BARRICADES AND ENCAMPMENTS.
CRITICS HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST HOW THE CHAOTIC SITUATION WAS HANDLED.
A FEW DAYS AFTER THE VIOLENCE, UCLA CREATED A NEW OFFICE OF CAMPUS SAFETY TO OVERSEE THE CAMPUS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, UCLA ANNOUNCED ITS CAMPUS POLICE CHIEF -JOHN THOMAS- WOULD BE REASSIGNED TO A NEW POSITION, TEMPORARILY – IN ORDER FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO CAMPUS SECURITY PROTOCOL TO TAKE PLACE.
THE UNIVERSITY ALSO NAMED A NEW CAMPUS POLICE CHIEF.
SEVERAL COLLEGES HAVE ALSO BEEN HIT WITH LAWSUITS RELATED TO STUDENTS’ CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS – WITH STUDENTS CLAIMING ADMINISTRATORS FAILED TO KEEP THEM SAFE WHILE ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS WERE TAKING PLACE.
AT THE END OF THE HEARING, COMMITTEE CHAIR VIRGINIA FOXX SAID THIS IS THE BEGINNING, NOT THE END OF CONGRESS PROBING COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS OVER ANTI SEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
[REP. VIRGINIA FOXX]
“YOU’LL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR RECORDS. CONGRESS WILL NOT STAND BY WHILE YOU VIOLATE YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO UPHOLD TITLE 6 OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, FAIL TO PROTECT JEWISH STUDENTS, CUT DEALS ADVANCING DIVESTMENT, AND PROMOTE TERRORISM AND RADICALISM AND ANTISEMITIC IDEOLOGIES.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
MEANWHILE – HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS WALKED OUT OF HARVARD’S COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY THURSDAY CHANTING “FREE, FREE PALESTINE” AFTER THE UNIVERSITY BARRED 13 STUDENTS FROM RECEIVING THEIR DIPLOMAS OVER THEIR PARTICIPATION IN PRO-PALESTINIAN ENCAMPMENTS ON CAMPUS.
HARVARD’S GOVERNING BOARD SAID THE PUNISHMENT DID NOT STEM FROM THE STUDENTS PROTESTING, BUT RATHER THEIR CONDUCT DURING THE PROTEST.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR…
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