Trump administration launches anti-Semitism probe into University of Washington
May 7 (UPI) -- The Trump administration launched a review into recently alleged anti-Semitic activity at the University of Washington and its affiliated campuses.
The U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and the General Services Administration announced the probe a day after roughly 30 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested at UW's campus in Seattle after they occupied an engineering building and demanded the university sever its ties with Boeing, which donated $10 million for the building in 2022.
"The Task Force will not allow these so-called 'protesters' to disrupt campus life and deprive students, especially Jewish students who live in fear on campus, of their equal opportunity protections and civil rights," said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.
"This isn't about politics," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a statement. "It's about whether a federally funded university is upholding the law, protecting civil rights and fostering a safe environment for all students."
UW officials estimated more than $1 million in damages so far from Tuesday's clash, UW's student-run paper The Daily reported Wednesday.
"This isn't about politics," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (seen April 30 in the White House in Washington, DC with Education Secretary Linda McMahon) said Tuesday. "It's about whether a federally funded university is upholding the law, protecting civil rights and fostering a safe environment for all students." Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI
It was led by the so-called Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return who clashed for several hours with campus, Seattle and state police that caused extensive building damage with added dumpster fires. Arrested protesters now face charges of destruction of property, trespassing and disorderly conduct.
The University of Washington encompasses some 20 schools and its three campuses in Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma.
"This was no peaceful protest in support of Palestinian rights or against the war in Gaza," UW President Ana Mari Cauce wrote Tuesday in a statement condemning the violence, saying it will "not be intimidated by this sort of horrific and destructive behavior and will not engage in dialogue with any group using or condoning such destructive tactics."
The university said it is working with King County jail staff to identify any arrested students.
The White House, meanwhile, praised the school's expression of condemnation but stated UW administrators "must do more to deter future violence and guarantee that Jewish students have a safe and productive learning environment."
"We will continue our actions to oppose anti-Semitism, racism and all forms of biases so that ALL our students, faculty, staff and visitors can feel safe and welcome on our campuses," Cauce, the university's president, added.
UW was one of 60 college and university campuses targeted by the Trump administration that threatened to cut federal funding if they did not do more to protect Jewish students from perceived discrimination.
The president warned in March of funding cuts over "illegal" protests.
"Agitators will be imprisoned/permanently sent back to the country from which they came," he wrote on his conservative social media platform. "American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter."
It follows similar moves by the administration against Columbia where $400 million in federal grants were cut, and at Harvard University.
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