An agency in the Department of Education has launched an investigation into alleged antisemitism at Brown University. This investigation followed a complaint that stated that pro-Israel students were being harassed and discriminated against.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) ensures that schools are free of any form of discrimination. The agency investigates credible complaints and issues guidance to help schools comply with civil rights laws. The goal is to ensure equal opportunities for all students.
The inquiry concerning Brown University became necessary after the OCR received a complaint from one of the top leaders of a news website. Dr. Zachary Marschall, the editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, a conservative-leaning news platform, filed the complaint.
Dr. Marschall alleged that “pro-Israel students are targeted and threatened” on Brown University’s campus. In their response, the OCR assured him it would begin a thorough investigation into the matter.
Speaking to the press, a Brown University spokesperson confirmed that an investigation is in progress. The spokesperson disclosed that the OCR had communicated to the University about their intention on January 9.
The OCR had specifically told the Ivy League institution that its investigation concerned a complaint of discrimination based on national origin. The OCR cited alleged “incidents of harassment” in fall 2023. The hostilities between Israel and Palestine tie these incidents.
According to the spokesperson, the OCR also clarified that the complaint didn’t originate from within the University’s campus. The agency also assured the school that the investigation was for fact-finding. The OCR also clarified that “opening the complaint for investigation in no way implies that OCR has made a determination on the merits of the complaint.”
The spokesperson affirmed that the University is committed to “supporting the needs and safety of our students, faculty and staff who are Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, Palestinian, [and] have ties to the region.”
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Brown University has also assured that it has replicated these efforts across all its campuses. The University is committed to creating an environment where “no instance of antisemitism, Islamophobia or bias based on religious, cultural or ethnic differences is tolerated.”
The spokesperson also stated that the University cooperates fully with the OCR in its investigation. The institution is ready to furnish the agency with every detail required to conduct a thorough investigation.
Over the past few months, tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups have escalated on the University’s campus. One prominent incident happened on October 10 involving Brown University’s Students for Justice in Palestine. The group released a statement blaming Israel and its allies for every suffering and death recorded in the Gaza war.
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Nonetheless, the group released the statement three days after the Palestinian terror group Hamas invaded Israel, killing over a thousand people. The statement also implicated Christina Paxson, Brown University President, accusing her of holding Israeli interests.
On another occasion, during a vigil, the group hosted, a student chanted some controversial statements. “Glory to our martyrs from the river to the sea… Palestine is the hope of the world,” the student declared.
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