Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Tuesday released a statement condemning "antisemitic hate on college campuses" and expressing his concerns about the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" at Columbia University.
Three students were suspended from the school and multiple others were arrested last week for staging a pro-Palestinian protest in the center of the school's campus. The demonstrators are calling for an immediate cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas and for the United States to stop sending military aid to Israel.
"Antisemitic hate on college campuses is unacceptable. I am deeply concerned by what is happening at Columbia University," Cardona wrote in a statement on social media. "In November 2023, our Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation of Columbia involving Title VI."
Cardona added: "While we can't comment on pending investigations, every student deserves to feel a sense of safety and belonging at school. Hate has no place in our schools. All education leaders must stand definitively against hate, antisemitism, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim sentiment."
Columbia previously announced that the main campus will implement hybrid learning for almost all classes, excluding programs based on the arts or that require in-person practice.
"Safety is our highest priority as we strive to support our students' learning and all the required academic operations," the school's Provost Angela V. Olinto and Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway said in a statement Monday.