The University of Michigan failed to assess whether campus protests and other incidents in response to the Israel-Hamas war created a hostile environment for students, staff, and faculty, according to a new investigation.
The investigation by the Department of Education is the first of several inquiries launched since the start of the conflict to reach a conclusion.
The Office of Civil Rights investigated 75 cases of alleged discrimination and harassment. The university’s responses did not comply with its Title VI requirements and failed to “take steps reasonably calculated to end the hostile environment, remedy its effects, and prevent its recurrence,” according to a release.
In one instance, a report was issued concerning a student “spreading antisemitic hate online,” but the university said the incident “appears to have involved protected speech.”
When another report was filed about a swastika symbol on a school bulletin board, the university did not take any action because the respondent was unknown.
In another case, when a student who participated in a pro-Palestinian protest was called a “terrorist,” the university said it held “restorative circles for staff, faculty, and students” to address the incident but did not take any further action.
As a recipient of federal financial assistance from the Education Department, the university is subject to OCR enforcement of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.
In its resolution agreement, the university agreed to conduct a climate assessment, provide additional training, update policies as needed, and undergo monitoring by OCR until the end of the 2026 academic year, reporting its actions on future discrimination incidents to the department.
This agreement does not constitute an admission of liability, noncompliance, or wrongdoing by the university.
The OCR has also resolved nine complaints against the City University of New York for inadequate investigations into alleged harassment, differential treatment of students, and failure to take steps to redress existing hostile environments. As a result, CUNY agreed to ensure all its campuses meet Title VI obligations regarding discrimination and harassment.
More than 100 educational institutions in the United States are under inquiry for allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia, with six congressional committees investigating 10 leading colleges and considering the possibility of withholding billions in federal funding.
More investigations are expected to be resolved in the coming weeks. However, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the department is struggling with the surge of cases.
“We are desperately in need of additional support to make sure we can investigate the cases that we have in front of us,” Cardona told members of the House in May.
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In recent years, Republicans have refused requests to boost funding for the OCR, while the average caseload increased to 42 per investigator. Without additional funds, Cardona warned this could exceed 70 cases per investigator.
Cases typically resolve within six to eight months, with most civil rights investigations concluding through voluntary resolutions.