UMass Amherst is the latest local school to get slapped with an antisemitism complaint amid the Israel-Hamas war, as university officials face allegations they have “done nothing to make Jewish students feel safe.”
The Anti-Defamation League and Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law have filed a civil rights complaint against UMass Amherst with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the Jewish groups announced on Thursday.
The groups are alleging that Jewish students at the Massachusetts university have reported antisemitic harassment since the Hamas terror attacks on Oct. 7 — and that UMass Amherst leaders have not addressed the reported harassment of Jewish and Israeli students.
Many colleges and universities have faced similar federal civil rights complaints and investigations since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
In November, a UMass Amherst student was arrested after allegedly punching a Jewish student who was holding an Israeli flag, the federal complaint notes.
“Even after a violent antisemitic assault on campus, UMass has done nothing to make Jewish students feel safe and, infuriatingly, this assault is the tip of the iceberg — part of a persistent pattern of enabling hate against Jews,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and national director, said in a statement.
“This is a textbook example of an administration that is deliberately indifferent and negligent — the U.S. Department of Education must intervene immediately,” ADL’s CEO added.
During that violent attack in November, UMass Amherst senior Dylan Jacobs was reportedly called a “Zionist s***bag” and then punched and kicked repeatedly by another student. A small Israeli flag was ripped from his hand, stabbed and thrown in a trash can.
The Jewish groups are accusing the university of ignoring the incident, despite requests from the victim to address the matter.
“A Jewish student was charged at and repeatedly and violently punched and kicked for holding an Israeli flag at a Hillel Bring Them Home event, and what did the university do? They issued a statement urging ‘peaceful advocacy’ and simultaneously condemned Islamophobia,” said Kenneth Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights.
“Adding insult to injury, it took them five months to hold a hearing on the violent assault and they have yet to hold the attacker accountable,” Marcus added. “What kind of message does this send to the UMass community? It is no wonder anti-Semitic protestors continue to block entrances and exits to buildings, call for violence against Jews, harass and intimidate Jewish students, disrupt events and spew anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.”
Other alleged incidents cited in the complaint include genocidal chants, antisemitic slurs, and physical threats.
The complaint urges the feds to make the university implement a series of measures, including: issue a public statement condemning antisemitic hostility and the BDS movement, and provide mandatory antisemitism training to university administrators, faculty, students and staff.
UMass Amherst had not received any notification that the Office for Civil Rights was investigating the complaint as of Thursday afternoon, according to the university.
“The press release inaccurately states that ‘While UMass-Amherst was quick to condemn the attack, it did little beyond that,’ ” the university said in a statement. “The alleged assailant was immediately arrested and barred from campus (and remains barred from campus); the legal and conduct processes are active and have been since the moment of the arrest. By policy, the University’s conduct process is confidential — we cannot discuss any active cases, including whether the facts presented in this filing are accurate.
“By policy and aligned with its values of maintaining an inclusive, respectful learning, teaching and working environment, The University of Massachusetts Amherst does not tolerate discrimination based on national origin under its Affirmative Action, Non-Discrimination, and Title IX Non-Discrimination Policy,” the university added. “Additionally, the university has condemned hatred in all forms, writing that ‘Antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any form of bigotry have no place in our community, and we are committed to ensuring that our community’s engagement with opposing viewpoints is maintained in a respectful manner.’ “