Feds open investigation over antisemitic incidents at Rutgers amid Israel-Hamas protests
The Biden administration has opened a civil rights investigation into Rutgers University's Newark campus over alleged antisemitism, as universities come under increasing scrutiny about how they handle free speech and bullying amid student protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
Antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents on school and university campuses fall under the purview of the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education.
An "investigation of a complaint has been opened related to alleged incidents of harassment in October and November 2023 of students on the basis of their national origin (shared Jewish ancestry and/or Israel)," Rutgers confirmed in a statement.
"We will certainly fully cooperate," said Dory Devlin, a Rutgers spokeswoman.
Dozens of universities and school districts under investigation
Rutgers is the latest university to be investigated in the two months since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7, when Israel retaliated after attacks by Hamas that left around 1,200 dead in Southern Israel and 240 hostages taken. More than 18,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The federal government has opened investigations into 29 universities and school districts across the United States since the outbreak of war, which has polarized campuses, prompting complaints from Jews, Arabs and Muslims on campuses who say they feel targeted and unsafe.
Some Rutgers-Newark law school students promoted a National Day of Action across the United States on Nov. 16 organized by a group called "National Law Students for a Free Palestine."
On Nov. 17, a group of 243 Rutgers faculty that described itself as "Rutgers Faculty Supporting All Our Students" wrote an opinion piece in the student newspaper, The Daily Targum, calling attention to threatened free speech rights in the wake of suspensions of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters at Columbia and Brandeis University.
The letter also pledged support for "all of our students, and in particular, to our Arab, Black, Brown, Jewish, Indigenous, Muslim, Native Indian and Palestinian students, who are actively protesting against the war in Gaza and who are thus especially vulnerable."
A month earlier, the Students for Justice in Palestine group criticized Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway for issuing campus-wide traffic alerts and a message that addressed both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict, informing students of increased police presence to protect students as tensions rose on campus.
Meanwhile, on the day of a four-hour pro-Palestine protest in the center of the New Brunswick campus, protesters with facial coverings sang religious chants in Arabic and waved Palestinian flags on the steps of Brower Commons. Jewish students who gathered to watch the protest from across the street said some of the sloganeering was alarming.
Rutgers suspends pro-Palestinian student group
On Monday, the same day that Rutgers was notified of the federal civil rights investigation, the university's Office of Student Conduct suspended the campus SJP chapter "in response to complaints of disruptive behavior by the group and an allegation of vandalism."
The "interim suspension," according to a letter from Associate Dean of Students Michelle Jefferson, informed the organization that it faced allegations of interrupting students during classes and meals, and of vandalism at the Rutgers Business School in New Brunswick that occurred during an SJP program.
Rutgers' SJP chapter responded with a statement alleging that the university had failed to act upon allegations of harassment and doxxing directed at Palestinian and Muslim students and that the school applied a "racist double-standard," by suspending its activities.
Column: The Israel-Hamas war tears at this North Jersey town's inclusive tradition. Can it be fixed?
"Rutgers stands against antisemitism and against hate in all its pernicious forms," said Devlin, the Rutgers spokesperson. "The university strives to be a safe and supportive environment for all our students, faculty, and staff.
"We reject absolutely intolerance based on religion, national origin, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or political views," she said.
The office of civil rights investigation takes cases where it suspects "discrimination involving shared ancestry," under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that "prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities operated by recipients of federal funds." Jews, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs are a few among several protected groups under Title VI.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Antisemitic incidents at Rutgers Newark investigated by feds
