
CUNY chancellor grilled over antisemitism on campus at congressional hearing
CUNY Chancellor Dr. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez went before the Committee on Education and Workforce along with Georgetown University Interim President Dr. Robert M. Groves and Dr. Rich Lyons, chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley.
The congressional hearing follows hearings with other area school leaders, including then-New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks and then-Columbia University President Dr. Minouche Shafik.
The hearing analyzed what it identified as five potential breeding grounds for antisemitism — faculty and student groups, faculty unions, Middle East studies, foreign funding and DEI policies.
"The violence, fear and alienation felt by Jewish students is at its core a result of administrators and their staff lacking the moral clarity to condemn and punish antisemitism," Committee Chairman Tim Walberg said.
"Antisemitism has no place at CUNY," Rodríguez said. "Our commitment to the safety of the members of our Jewish community, and to our entire community, is non-negotiable."
Like colleges across the country, CUNY has seen a rise in clashes between students and enforcement following the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel, including police making 25 arrests following the building of an encampment on campus during spring break of 2024.
According to CUNY leadership, the school had 68 complaints of antisemitism in 2024, and 16 so far this year.
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik did not hold back against the chancellor during the hearing.
"We are working with the New York City Police Department—" Rodríguez said.
"So no disciplinary action has been taken by CUNY? Is that correct?" Stefanik said.
"Again we will investigate any action—" Rodríguez said.
"So an investigation but no actual action," Stefanik said.
Afterwards, the representative called for CUNY's chancellor to be fired.
"The reality is CUNY and New York state's Democrat leadership have failed," Stefanik said.
Rabbi Joe Potasnik, a member of CUNY's Advisory Council on Jewish Life, says he has faith in leadership moving forward.
"The real test is not what is said at the hearing, it's what is done after the hearing," he said. "There's no instant cure, but you do want leadership that says I'm with you, I'm gonna walk with you during this very painful period."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Business Insider
18 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Blackstone says real estate executive Wesley LePatner was among those killed in NYC shooting
The Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner was among those killed on Monday by a gunman who entered the company's Park Avenue offices, the private equity giant said in a statement Tuesday morning. LePatner, a mother and wife, was the $1.2 trillion firm's global head of core+ real estate and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, an evergreen real estate fund. Her death has left staff at the New York-based asset manager "heartbroken," the statement said. "Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone," the statement continued. LePatner, a Yale graduate and trustee of New York's Met Museum, was an executive at Goldman Sachs before joining Blackstone in 2014. She told Business Insider in 2022 that her unit was, "for all intents and purposes, a startup." "I faced all the challenges one could imagine when building a multibillion-dollar business — from hiring to ensuring standards remain high, moving quickly to keep up with growth, and staying ahead of market swings and growing pains," she said. She also served on the board for the UJA-Federation of New York, which honored her at its Wall Street dinner in 2023. Blackstone's President Jon Gray presented her with a leadership award and lauded her ascent in finance and her support of women on Wall Street, according to a press release. LePatner is one of four victims who lost their lives to the gunman, who has been identified by the police as Shane Tamura. The gunman died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the building.

Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business Insider
Blackstone said real estate executive Wesley LePatner was among those killed
Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner was among those killed on Monday by a gunman who entered the company's Park Avenue offices, the private equity giant said in a statement Tuesday morning. LePatner, a mother and wife, was the $1.2 trillion firm's global head of core+ real estate and CEO of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, or BREIT, an evergreen real estate fund. Her death has left the New York-based asset manager "heartbroken," the statement said. "Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond. She embodied the best of Blackstone," the statement continued. LePatner, a Yale graduate and trustee of New York's Met Musuem, was an executive at Goldman Sachs before joining Blackstone in 2014. She told Business Insider in 2022 that her unit was, "for all intents and purposes, a startup." "I faced all the challenges one could imagine when building a multibillion-dollar business — from hiring to ensuring standards remain high, moving quickly to keep up with growth, and staying ahead of market swings and growing pains," she said. LePatner is one of four victims who lost their lives after a gunman entered Blackstone's midtown Manhattan headquarters Monday evening. The gunman took his own life at the building as well.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Looking ahead to the race for Rhode Island attorney general
The campaign to replace term-limited Attorney General Peter Neronha will be one of the most-watched races in the state next year. Solve the daily Crossword