TEMPE, AZ — The U.S. Department of Education is looking into potential civil rights violations at 60 universities, including Arizona State University, concerning the treatment of Jewish students.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon expressed concern, stating that Jewish students at major U.S. institutions should not live in fear due to rising antisemitism on campuses. She emphasized that colleges benefit from taxpayer funding and must comply with federal anti-discrimination laws.
This investigation follows an executive order issued by Trump aimed at combating antisemitism. The Department has already begun looking into five universities where incidents of antisemitic harassment were reported. The other 55 schools are under scrutiny due to complaints received by the Office for Civil Rights.
Trump’s measures aim to utilize federal resources to address antisemitism swiftly, with plans for the Justice Department to investigate offenders. The proposal even includes actions against international students who may participate in protests considered problematic.
Critics argue that these actions mischaracterize peaceful protests and violate free speech rights. Edward Ahmed Mitchell from the Council on American-Islamic Relations noted that diverse groups of students are protesting for what they perceive as humanitarian issues and should not be labeled negatively.
In response to the spike in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents, the Biden administration has opened over 100 investigations into various schools and universities following a recent attack by Hamas on Israel.
Schools under investigation include:
- American University
- Arizona State University
- Boston University
- Columbia University
- Harvard University
- University of California, Berkeley
- Yale University
- And many more…
This wave of investigations highlights the ongoing tension and concerns surrounding campus safety and discrimination in educational spaces.
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