George Washington University (GWU) is in violation of federal civil rights law and is "deliberately indifferent" to antisemitism on campus, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday, The Hill reported.
The DOJ declared that the university took "no meaningful action" to fight against antisemitism, which led to harm to both Jewish students and faculty.
In a letter to the university, which is located in Washington D.C., the DOJ said that Jewish students were intimidated and fearful during the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus last spring and that multiple Jewish students reported harassment or assault from the demonstrators.
"Every student has the right to equal educational opportunities without fear of harassment or abuse," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. "No one is above the law, and universities that promulgate antisemitic discrimination will face legal consequences."
The letter said that the university was informed of discrimination against Jewish students and "was deliberately indifferent to the complaints it received, the misconduct that occurred, and the harms that were suffered by its students and faculty."
It added that the university's handling of the harassment violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in entities that receive federal funding, such as institutes of higher learning.
The DOJ stated that it intends to enforce the civil rights law against GWU, without providing specifics on the enforcement, The Times of Israel reported. However, the DOJ offered to negotiate with the university in order to reach a "voluntary resolution," setting an Aug. 22 deadline for beginning such a dialogue.
GWU becomes the latest university targeted by the Trump administration for violating the civil rights of students during the demonstrations on campus in support of the Hamas terrorist organization.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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