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Feds accuse UW of violating Civil Rights Act
The U.S. Department of Education warned the University of Washington and other schools of strict action if they do not address antisemitic harassment.
SEATTLE - The U.S. Department of Education warned of strict action against the University of Washington if they do not mitigate "antisemitic harassment and discrimination" against Jewish students.
The department's Office for Civil Rights sent a letter to 60 higher education institutions on Monday — including University of Washington, Eastern Washington University, Whitman College and Pacific Lutheran University — ordering them to "protect Jewish students on campus."
All 60 of the institutions are presently under investigation for Title VI violations for antisemitism, the department says.
The backstory:
This letter comes days after the Trump administration pulled $400 million from Columbia University and canceled grants and contracts, for what they say is the school’s failure to stop antisemitism on campus. Pro-Palestine protests had reignited at the private university last week after two students were expelled for protesting an Israel class on campus.
Most recently, ICE detained Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia grad who organized campus protests, though a judge has blocked his deportation.
"The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year. University leaders must do better," said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. "U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws."
It is not clear exactly what repercussions the University of Washington might face, but the school is among the highest-funded public universities in the U.S., receiving around $1.87 billion in federal research dollars in 2023.
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Nonprofit names UW among top anti-Jewish colleges
A nonprofit advocacy group, StopAntisemitism, has labeled the University of Washington one of the "most anti-Jewish" colleges in the United States.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the U.S. Department of Education, University of Washington, FOX 5 New York, and previous coverage from FOX 13 Seattle.
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