NYU was not listed among the 60 universities said to be investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for complaints alleging antisemitic harassment, despite being one of 10 colleges slated for investigation by the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.
The department’s Office for Civil Rights sent letters to each of the 60 colleges two days ago warning them of “potential enforcement actions” if they fail to “fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus.” NYU, George Washington University and University of California, Los Angeles are the only three schools targeted by President Donald Trump’s antisemitism task force that were not included on Monday’s list.
“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,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the press release. “University leaders must do better.”
The department will investigate schools including Columbia University, The New School and the State University of New York — each of which have seen a rise in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war in Gaza since October 2023. McMahon did not specify what the department’s investigations into the colleges would entail. Leo Terrell, a leading member of the U.S. Department of Justice’s task force against antisemitism, said his group will compile information on reported incidents of antisemitism on college campuses by meeting with “university leadership, impacted students and staff, local law enforcement and community members,” and assess whether “remedial action is warranted.”
Also on Monday, David Krieger — who was appointed as NYU’s Title VI coordinator “weeks ago,” according to the university — officially took office after 13 years working as a senior attorney for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. NYU announced the creation of the position, which involves overseeing complaints relating to racial discrimination, last July as part of a confidential settlement with three Jewish students who accused the university of an alleged indifference toward instances of on-campus antisemitism.
There have not been any updates concerning the task force’s investigation into NYU, but a university spokesperson had told WSN that it “looks forward to sharing its very considerable track-record” to combatting antisemitism on campus. Days after the announcement, federal agencies at the front of the investigations announced that they would revoke $400 million from Columbia’s research funding after administrators “have not responded” to potential violations of Title VI. Since then, Columbia graduate Mahmoud Khalil — a prominent organizer in pro-Palestinian demonstrations — has been arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, despite being a legal U.S. resident.
Trump’s antisemitism task force launched investigations into UCLA and University of California, Berkeley last week. UCLA has since unveiled a slew of initiatives aimed at combatting on-campus antisemitism, which includes a new complaint system, antisemitism-related training for students and faculty, and a new action group dedicated to addressing complaints and concerns from community members. UC Berkeley has yet to publicize any changes.
When initially asked about the federal task force, NYU said it has “been at the forefront of working to eliminate antisemitism” and referenced university initiatives to host national conferences dedicated to combatting antisemitism, establish a 10-point plan for safety guidelines and include “code words, like ‘Zionist,’” as examples of potentially discriminatory speech.
Contact Dharma Niles at [email protected].
