Education Secretary condemns ‘abhorrent’ anti-Semitic incidents on campus

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sent a letter Friday to college and university presidents condemning what he called “abhorrent” anti-Semitic incidents on campus, the Biden administration’s latest response to ongoing protests across the country. country.

Cardona’s letter takes on a more severe tone of the administration and comes one day after a brief speech by President Biden, where he harshly criticized aspects of the demonstrations, including isolated incidents of violence or vandalism.

“As the 2023-24 academic year comes to a close, I remain extremely concerned about reports of anti-Semitic hate directed at students on some campuses,” Cardona said in the letter, first reported by CNN.

Cardona cited reports from Jewish students who said they had been physically attacked or harassed in recent days, including anti-Semitic comments, verbal abuse and swastikas found on dormitory doors.

“These and other incidents are abhorrent, period,” he wrote. “They have no place on our college campuses.”

Cardona said there has been a “marked increase in reports of anti-Semitism against Jewish students on some college campuses.”

Since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened more than 100 investigations into complaints of anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination under Title VI.

Cardona said the department is “eager to provide more resources” to higher education leaders.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protests and encampments have broken out on college campuses in recent weeks, including at institutions whose leaders have faced sharp criticism from House Republicans over their handling of the situation.

Most of the protests denounced anti-Semitism and did not explicitly support Hamas, but some incidents became part of the broader controversy surrounding the demonstrations.

Columbia University banned a student protest leader from campus who said “Zionists don’t deserve to live.” A video of protest organizer Khymani James showed him saying earlier this year that people should be grateful he doesn’t go around “murdering Zionists.” He has since apologized for his comments.

As protests continue, calls grow for the Biden administration to do more to combat anti-Semitism on campus. The House this week passed a bill that seeks to crack down on anti-Semitism by requiring the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism when enforcing anti-discrimination laws.

Since October 7, the Anti-Defamation League has reported that there has been an unprecedented rise in anti-Semitism in the United States.

The demonstrations have had an impact on the remaining time of the school year left for many schools. Columbia moved the rest of the academic year to a hybrid learning style to take into account the safety of the campus community, and the University of Southern California canceled its main commencement event.