Trump administration accuses college of making a hostile ambiance for Jewish, American Israelis, and Israeli college students.
The USA Division of Justice has accused George Washington College of deliberate indifference to anti-Semitism, making the Washington, DC-based establishment the newest to seek out itself within the crosshairs of the administration of President Donald Trump.
In a press release issued Tuesday, the Justice Division mentioned the varsity violated federal civil rights by making a “hostile academic atmosphere” for Jewish, American-Israeli, and Israeli college students and school.
“The Division finds that GWU took no significant motion and was as an alternative intentionally detached to the complaints it acquired, the misconduct that occurred, and the harms that had been suffered by its Jewish and Israeli college students and school,” the assertion says.
It added that the division will search “instant remediation”, although no additional particulars are given.
In a letter to the college, the Justice Division accused GWU of being “intentionally detached” to complaints it acquired from college students and school, saying they failed to stop or treatment abuses regardless of figuring out of them.
Dozens of universities might face investigation
The Justice Division discover comes because the Trump administration has intensified stress on establishments of upper schooling over allegations that they’ve allowed anti-Semitism to fester, notably as pro-Palestinian protests and encampments unfold throughout US college campuses in 2023 and 2024. Critics have accused the administration of utilizing accusations of anti-Semitism as a fig leaf in its conflict against higher education.
In February, the Justice Division launched a federal activity drive to research allegations of anti-Semitism at 10 college campuses: Columbia College; George Washington College; Harvard College; Johns Hopkins College; New York College; Northwestern College; the College of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); the College of California, Berkeley; the College of Minnesota; and the College of Southern California.
Sixty universities had been later warned by the Division of Schooling that they might face enforcement motion towards them if they don’t take steps to guard Jewish college students.
Final, week, the Trump administration suspended $584m in federal grants to UCLA after which requested a $1bn settlement to resolve accusations stemming from the varsity’s dealing with of pro-Palestine protests.
Columbia College, equally, noticed $400m in grants cancelled and billions threatened; which had been reversed only after it settled with the administration for $220m. Harvard College is in negotiations to unfreeze more than $2bn in grants; with the New York Occasions this week reporting they’re nearing a $500m settlement.
