American University has been rocked by a federal civil rights complaint alleging that it has discriminated against Jewish students by tolerating rising anti-Semitism on its D.C. campus.
The Brandeis Center for Human Rights filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Education on behalf of Jewish students on the UA campus who have experienced “persistent and threatening anti-Semitic rhetoric and behavior,” according to the complaint.
“Jewish students have been rejected and marginalized in classrooms by their peers and teachers,” reads the complaint filed with the department’s Civil Rights Division.
“Anti-Israel protests have interfered with these students’ ability to attend classes or move freely around campus. “Anti-Israel students continually tear down posters of innocent men, women and children who are held hostage by the terrorist group Hamas.”
American University received a federal civil rights complaint alleging that it tolerated anti-Semitism. American University
One of the most egregious examples cited involved one of the UA professors, who spent time in the classroom sharing photographs of anti-Israel marches projected on a large screen. The professor even praised the anti-Israel protests.
One of the photos showed a Star of David on a trash can with the caption “Keep the world clean.”
The teacher then glared at a Jewish student in class, causing many of the other classmates to turn around and glare at him as well. The Jewish student left class crying, according to the complaint.
In another incident, a student yelled at a Jewish classmate and accused him of “genocide.”
The complaint concerned some Jewish students undergoing a disciplinary hearing for recording people tearing down Israeli hostage signs. Christopher Sadowski
“I don’t want to sit on the same side of the room as this Zionist… You have blood on your hands. “You are responsible for the genocide,” the student said.
Neither the teacher nor the administration addressed the conduct, according to the complaint.
The complaint said AU even harassed victims of anti-Semitism instead of helping them.
Several Jewish students were subjected to a disciplinary hearing for using their mobile phones to record people tearing down posters of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas after the October 7 invasion.
The Jewish students said they filmed others removing the signs because when they first reported the violation to university officials, they were told the school needed documentation to investigate.
A woman holds an anti-Semitic sign at a pro-Palestinian demonstration. James Keivom
Instead, the university launched an investigation of the Jewish students for harassment and disorderly conduct, and threatened them with disciplinary action when they provided evidence of vandalism, the complaint alleges.
Some of the Jewish students were even told that their study abroad programs could be revoked, according to the complaint, while the vandals have not been punished.
“Shamefully, the UA has repeatedly chosen to turn a blind eye to the anti-Semitism that is snowballing on its campus,” said Brandeis Center founder and president Kenneth Marcus.
Julia Jassey, co-founder and executive director of Jews on Campus, said: “Jewish students deserve consistent support from their university administrators, not harassment for opposing anti-Semitism.”
Some of the Jewish students were even told that their study abroad programs could be revoked. American University
Matt Bennett, UA vice president of communications, said: “We take these issues and any concerns from the UA Jewish community seriously, review them and address them. We will cooperate with any queries related to our work to combat antisemitism.
“American University supports the safety, well-being and sense of belonging of our Jewish students, a community that has been and continues to be an important part of the fabric of our university… While we have made progress in the fight against anti-Semitism, we know that we have “more work to do.”
The Education Department had no immediate comment.
The department is currently investigating Brandeis Center complaints filed with the feds against Brooklyn College, Wellesley, SUNY New Paltz, the University of Southern California (USC), and the University of Illinois.
The department is also investigating allegations of discrimination involving Rutgers University, Stanford, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, San Diego, the University of Washington – Seattle and Whitman College in Washington state. as well as Harvard, Cornell, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania. .
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