U.S. Dept. of Education investigates claims of antisemitism at UVM

April Barton, Burlington Free Press
·2 min read
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The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into claims of antisemitism at the University of Vermont.

Jewish students have reported being discriminated against, intimidated, harassed and targeted based upon their ethnic identity and say the university has failed to act in accordance with federal Civil Rights protections. The complaint was submitted by The Louis D. Brandeis Center and Jewish On Campus, both of which are Jewish advocacy groups.

"Jewish students have expressed fear about identifying publicly as Jewish, report hiding their Jewish identity and have considered transferring out of UVM due to the hostile environment toward Jews," The Brandeis Center said in a news release.

In a statement Tuesday morning, the University of Vermont said it had investigated the allegations and would share its findings with federal officials.

"The University is aware of the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights investigation and is looking forward to providing the agency with a full response to the underlying allegations, each of which was reported to the university in 2021 and investigated by campus officials," the emailed statement read. "UVM seeks to foster a culture of inclusiveness for all students, faculty, and staff, including members of our Jewish community and does not tolerate acts of bias or discrimination related to religion, race, culture, gender, or sexual orientation on our campus."

The allegations of mistreatment on campus followed surging conflict in the Middle East over the Gaza Strip in May 2021 when Israeli and Palestinian forces clashed after a strike by Israel that resulted in more than 260 Palestinian deaths.

Old Mill at University of Vermont catches late-afternoon light Dec. 11, 2020.
Old Mill at University of Vermont catches late-afternoon light Dec. 11, 2020.

The complaint says the organizers of a mass walkout in response to UVM's handling of sexual assault cases, and the organizers of a book club called “UVM Revolutionary Socialist Union," both excluded Zionists. Students allege a teaching assistant threatened to lower the grades of Jewish students who expressed support for a Jewish homeland or pride in their ancestry and encouraged others to cyber bully these students. In late September, rocks were thrown at dormitory windows of the UVM Hillel building where Jewish students were living.

The complaint says these actions were reported to the University of Vermont administration on multiple occasions but the university did not take action to rectify the situation, therefore violating their right to equal access to education.

2018 reporting:Burlington's Jewish community talks about how best to respond to antisemitism

UVM Hillel responded to the announcement of the investigation in a Facebook post.

"We take seriously our responsibility to work with our university partners to ensure incidents of bias are addressed, and that university leaders swiftly identify and publicly condemn antisemitism, bias, and hate in any form," the statement read in part. "Our campus and our community should be a safe space for all students – including Jewish students."

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Contact reporter April Barton at abarton@freepressmedia.com or 802-660-1854. Follow her on Twitter @aprildbarton.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Feds investigate University of Vermont over handling of antisemitism