WASHINGTON DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) sent a letter urging the Department of Education to review the harassment policies and codes of conduct of colleges and universities to ensure they comply with federal civil rights requirements. In the wake of rising antisemitism on campuses and following disturbing congressional testimony from the presidents of some of the nation’s top universities, Senator Rosen is pushing for immediate actions to ensure institutions of higher education are fulfilling their legal obligation to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
“I write with significant concerns about rising antisemitism at institutions of higher education and the failure of college and university leadership to protect Jewish students from harassment and discrimination,” wrote Senator Rosen. “Excuses and apologies don’t change the fact that leaders of some of our nation’s top schools refused to publicly acknowledge that calling for the genocide of Jews is harassment. This lack of moral clarity fails students across American college campuses.”
“According to the Anti-Defamation League, there have been 400 incidents on college and university campuses since Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, compared with 33 incidents during the same period last year,” she continued. “With this in mind, I urge you to undertake a comprehensive review of college and university harassment policies and codes of conduct to ensure that they meet federal civil rights requirements for protecting students from prohibited harassment and discrimination, including antisemitic harassment and discrimination.”
The full text of the letter can be found HERE.
Senator Rosen has been a leader in the bipartisan fight to combat antisemitism. Last month, she applauded the news that, after her push, the U.S. Department of Education issued guidance to schools and colleges, reminding them of their legal responsibility to protect students from discrimination or face consequences. She also helped introduce a bipartisan resolution denouncing antisemitism at institutions of higher education, which passed the Senate unanimously. Additionally, Senator Rosen helped launch the first-ever Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism and led the push to create the first-ever national strategy to counter antisemitism released earlier this year.
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