Several colleges that have experienced a series of on-campus incidents of antisemitism are among a list of schools now under federal civil rights investigation by the Department of Education.
On Thursday, the Department of Education announced it had opened civil rights investigations into six colleges and one school district in response to five complaints of antisemitic harassment and two complaints of anti-Muslim harassment.
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The investigations come amid a wave of antisemitic activity on college campuses, primarily traced back to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel. Following the attacks, campus student groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace released statements supporting the terrorist violence as acts of resistance and blaming the loss of life on Israel. The groups have also called for a ceasefire as Israel has launched a series of military operations into Gaza in response to the attacks.
Of the six colleges facing investigations, Columbia University, Cornell University, and the University of Pennsylvania have all made national headlines since the Oct. 7 attacks because of various incidents on campus and among the community. But whether these specific incidents were the catalyst for the Department of Education investigations remains an open question because the Department of Education has not provided details about each inquiry.
Cornell
Arguably the most high-profile incident of antisemitic activity in higher education occurred at the campus of Cornell University. On Oct. 31, Patrick Dai, a 21-year-old junior at the New York Ivy League university, was arrested on federal charges of "posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications."
Dai allegedly threatened to kill Jews on campus in a series of online posts. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
The school has also seen a number of protests by student groups alongside statements from university professors condemning Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks.
A spokesperson for Cornell told the Washington Examiner that the school "does not have anything to share at this time" regarding the federal civil rights investigation.
Columbia
Another New York-based school, Columbia University, made national headlines after a series of student protests by Students for Justice in Palestine reportedly proved disruptive. The university announced earlier this month that it was suspending the student group for the remainder of the semester for violating university rules for hosting on-campus events.
"This decision was made after the two groups repeatedly violated university policies related to holding campus events, culminating in an unauthorized event ... that proceeded despite warnings and included threatening rhetoric and intimidation," Gerald Rosberg, the university's senior executive vice president and the chairman of the special committee on campus safety, said while announcing the suspension.
It is not known if the federal investigation is related to the suspension of Students for Justice in Palestine.
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania's leadership has come under fire over the past month for its response to antisemitism, with a number of high-profile donors cutting ties with the school.
Last month, the Pennsylvania Ivy League school lost donations from the foundation of Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor and ambassador to Russia and China, who said the institution was "almost unrecognizable" and had embraced "moral relativism." And Ron Lauder, the heir to the Estee Lauder cosmetics company, also closed his checkbook to the school.
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Lauder had previously tried to pressure UPenn President Liz Magill into canceling a “Palestine Writes Literature Festival” in September, to no avail.
No details about the department's investigation are available.