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US Justice Dept: George Washington University ‘indifferent' to campus antisemitism

US Justice Dept: George Washington University ‘indifferent' to campus antisemitism

India Todaya day ago
The US Justice Department has accused George Washington University (GWU) of violating federal civil rights law by failing to address antisemitic harassment targeting Jewish, Israeli, and American Israeli students and faculty during campus protests earlier this year.to university President Ellen Granberg on Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said GWU had been 'deliberately indifferent to the hostile educational environment' that emerged during pro-Palestinian protests in April and May 2024.advertisementAccording to the department, protesters established an encampment at University Yard and engaged in 'antisemitic, disruptive protests' intended to 'frighten, intimidate, and deny' Jewish and Israeli students access to campus life.
'The Department finds that despite actual notice of the abuses occurring on its campus, GWU was deliberately indifferent to the complaints it received, the misconduct that occurred, and the harms that were suffered,' Dhillon wrote.Shannon McClendon, a spokesperson for GWU, said the university is reviewing the letter, adding that antisemitism has "absolutely no place on our campuses or in a civil and humane society." "We have taken appropriate action under university policy and the law to hold individuals or organizations accountable, including during the encampment, and we do not tolerate behavior that threatens our community or undermines meaningful dialogue," McClendon said in a statement.The Justice Department is offering the school a chance to resolve the matter through a voluntary agreement, with an August 22 deadline to respond. If no deal is reached, the department says it will proceed with enforcement, according to the letter.The case makes GWU the latest university in the Trump administration's crosshairs over pro-Palestinian demonstrations linked to the war in Gaza. The administration has threatened to cut federal funding to schools it believes failed to curb campus antisemitism.- EndsWith inputs from ReutersMust Watch
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