Harvard Outlines Antisemitism Fight in House Report

Harvard University insisted in documents to the House Education Committee that it has been battling antisemitism on its campus, saying it will "continue to take actions to combat antisemitism in any form."

Harvard included a report on how it has been fighting antisemitism as part of the more than 1,500 documents submitted Monday in response to a subpoena sent by the House Education Committee, which claims Harvard has not been cooperative with its ongoing investigation into antisemitism on U.S. college campuses, The Hill reported.

A Harvard spokesperson said the school's fight against antisemitism "includes ongoing efforts to engage with and learn from students, faculty, and staff to identify the causes of antisemitic behaviors and address them when they occur on our campus" and that the university is "focused on safety and ensuring a sense of belonging for our Jewish students — so that every member of our community is protected, embraced and valued, and can thrive at Harvard."

Efforts described in the report to Congress included increasing security and safety personnel on campus, particularly in locations where Jewish students gather. Harvard also, in the documentation, clarified policies concerning protests and said it disagrees with boycotting Israel and institutions linked to it. 

Further, the Harvard papers noted that the university has an anonymous hotline so students can report incidents of bias, and said it has created a task force to fight antisemitism.

The House Education Committee said it is reviewing the documentation, with Harvard noting it has provided 11 submissions with early 4,900 pages of information since January, including internal communications and other nonpublic information. 

The subpoena was issued after the House Education Committee said Harvard did not surrender the type of information sought. Further, the committee said much of the information turned over had already been made public. 

"Harvard's continued failure to satisfy the Committee's requests is unacceptable," Education Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., previously said. "I will not tolerate delay any defiance of our investigation while Harvard's Jewish students continue to endure the firestorm of antisemitism that has engulfed its campus. If Harvard is truly committed to combating antisemitism, it has had every opportunity to demonstrate its commitment with actions, not words."

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