WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU), through its OU Advocacy Center, denounced leaders of certain U.S. universities for their flagrant hostility towards Jewish students and teachers and their deliberate decision to fail to protect their Jewish student body as required by federal law. The OU’s comments come today, upon the release of a new report issued by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and the Workforce.
This damning report is based on the Education Committee’s investigation into certain universities, including Harvard, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, and others, and the Committee’s review of many thousands of subpoenaed documents and emails. The report underscores the need for a comprehensive and concrete response to antisemitism in higher education. OU Advocacy has consistently advocated for stronger accountability measures for institutions that allow discrimination to proliferate, endangering the safety and rights of Jewish students and faculty.
Specifically, OU Advocacy is working with Congress to pass the University Accountability Act and the Civil Rights Protection Act which would impose serious financial penalties on schools and make them ineligible for federal funds when they violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
“The Congressional Education Committee’s findings make clear that the problem on college campuses goes beyond a handful of hateful student activists. There is an antisemitic rot deep in university administrations, and it needs to be cleaned out from top to bottom,” said Nathan Diament, Executive Director for Public Policy at the Orthodox Union. “These universities are flagrantly violating federal law and must be held accountable. No more empty promises, no more stall tactics, no more bureaucratic stonewalling. Now is the time for Congress and the White House to act.”
OU Advocacy will continue to lead efforts that safeguard Jewish life in the U.S. and ensure that all Jewish students can pursue their education free from discrimination and fear.
Access the full report here: Key Findings from the Committee on Education and the Workforces Investigation into Campus Antisemitism Fact Sheet Final
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