U.S. Department of Education Warns 60 Universities Over Antisemitism Investigations
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued formal warnings to 60 universities currently under investigation for antisemitic discrimination and harassment. The letters, sent on March 10, caution institutions that failure to comply with federal anti-discrimination laws under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act could result in enforcement actions, including the potential loss of federal funding.
The universities named in the investigation include major institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, and the University of Michigan. The Department’s action follows increasing reports of antisemitic harassment on college campuses, which officials say have disrupted educational access and created hostile environments for Jewish students.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that Jewish students have equal access to campus facilities and educational opportunities, stating that universities benefiting from federal funding must uphold their legal obligations to protect students from discrimination.
The investigations stem from complaints filed with the OCR and are being conducted as part of the broader federal effort to combat antisemitism. These efforts align with President Trump’s Executive Order on Combating Antisemitism, which expanded the scope of Title VI protections to include discrimination based on shared ancestry and national origin.
In a recent high-profile case, the Department of Education and the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism revoked $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia University due to its failure to address continued harassment of Jewish students. Additionally, enforcement staff have been directed to expedite the resolution of a backlog of antisemitism-related complaints, many of which had remained unresolved under previous administrations.
The 60 universities named in the investigation now face heightened scrutiny and must demonstrate their compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws. Institutions found in violation risk severe penalties, including the potential withdrawal of federal funding. The Department’s enforcement actions highlight the federal government’s firm stance against antisemitic discrimination in higher education.
The schools that received letters from the Office for Civil Rights include:
American University
Arizona State University
Boston University
Brown University
California State University, Sacramento
Chapman University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Drexel University
Eastern Washington University
Emerson College
George Mason University
Harvard University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Indiana University, Bloomington
Johns Hopkins University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Middlebury College
Muhlenberg College
Northwestern University
Ohio State University
Pacific Lutheran University
Pomona College
Portland State University
Princeton University
Rutgers University
Rutgers University-Newark
Santa Monica College
Sarah Lawrence College
Stanford University
State University of New York Binghamton
State University of New York Rockland
State University of New York, Purchase
Swarthmore College
Temple University
The New School
Tufts University
Tulane University
Union College
University of California Davis
University of California San Diego
University of California Santa Barbara
University of California, Berkeley
University of Cincinnati
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of North Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern California
University of Tampa
University of Tennessee
University of Virginia
University of Washington-Seattle
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Wellesley College
Whitman College
Yale University