FOX News’ Bryan Llenas reports on the upcoming House vote targeting Harvard’s Claudine Gay and MIT’s Sally Kornbluth. Democrat Senator Jacky Rosen from Nevada has written a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, urging him to conduct a comprehensive review of university harassment policies in light of the increasing incidents of antisemitism on college campuses and what she perceives as a failure of leadership at these institutions to protect Jewish students.
Rosen’s letter, obtained by FOX News, expresses her “significant concerns” about the rise of antisemitism in higher education and the failure of college and university leadership to effectively address and prevent harassment and discrimination against Jewish students. The letter comes just days after university presidents testified on Capitol Hill regarding this issue.
During the hearing, Rosen notes that three leading university presidents, representing Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), failed to unequivocally state that advocating for the genocide of the Jewish people would inherently violate their institution’s harassment policies or codes of conduct. These presidents provided answers that Rosen found troubling and lacking in moral clarity.
In response to this testimony, Rosen is calling on the Department of Education to undertake a thorough review of college and university harassment policies and codes of conduct to ensure compliance with federal civil rights requirements for institutions of higher education. She emphasizes the need to protect students from antisemitic discrimination and harassment.
Rosen highlights data from the Anti-Defamation League, which shows a significant increase in antisemitic incidents on college and university campuses since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel in October. She argues that schools have a legal responsibility to protect their students from discrimination and harassment, particularly during a time of rising antisemitism.
The Senator commends the Education Department for reminding school administrators of their responsibility to protect students and for its efforts to counter antisemitism, including the launch of an Antisemitism Awareness Campaign. However, she believes that the recent hearing serves as a reminder that more work needs to be done to ensure the safety and well-being of Jewish students on college campuses.
Rosen stresses the importance of ensuring that codes of conduct on campuses prohibit antisemitic harassment and discrimination. She asserts that while students have First Amendment rights, university administrators still have an obligation under Title VI to protect students from harassment.
In conclusion, Senator Jacky Rosen urges Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to conduct a comprehensive review of college and university harassment policies and codes of conduct to ensure compliance with federal civil rights requirements. She emphasizes the need to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment and discrimination on college campuses.
