Administration says the institutions were already under investigation for Title VI violations relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination
The US Department of Education (DOE) sent letters to 60 universities on Monday, warning them of "potential enforcement actions" if they fail to "protect" Jewish students on campus.
The letters were sent from the DOE's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), citing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act which obligates institutions to protect Jewish students on campus, including "uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities".
The letter comes just days after the Trump administration announced on Friday that Columbia University will lose $400m in federal grants and contracts over accusations it has not done enough to combat antisemitism.
The letter states that all 60 universities they reached out to were already under investigation for Title VI violations relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
"US colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by US taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws,” the DOE's press release said, quoting Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.
The OCR says it has the authority to enforce Title VI, which prohibits federal funding from any institution that discriminates on the basis of race, colour or national origin.
"National origin includes shared (Jewish) ancestry," according to the press release.
Universities have been accused of allowing antisemitism on their campuses after a series of protests and encampments erupted last year that were sparked by Israel’s war on Gaza. After Columbia students held an encampment, universities across the country followed suit.
Both the Biden and Trump administrations have sought to characterise anti-Israel and anti-Zionist protests as "antisemitic", leading to congressional hearings, with members of congress grilling university administrators and law enforcement forcefully shutting down protests on campuses. (more...)
Trump administration threatens to slash federal funding to 60 universities
Related:
Trump threatens dozens of universities with funding cuts over 'antisemitic harassment'
No comments:
Post a Comment