The Israel-Gaza conflict started more than 15 years ago. However, on October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise offensive on Israel. Hundreds of gunmen invaded communities near the Gaza Strip, causing chaos.
Israel’s response was quick and decisive, and since then, both sides have been at war with the rest of the world, experiencing the ripple effect.
In the United States, there has been an increase in anti-Islam and anti-Muslim sentiments and discrimination. The U.S. Department of Education has been investigating several schools for alleged discrimination on their campus. Now, the agency has added six more schools to its list.
The schools added to the list are Tulane University in Louisiana, Union College in New York, Cobb County School District in Georgia, University of Cincinnati in Ohio, Santa Monica College in California, and Montana State University in Montana.
The Biden administration commits to curbing discrimination effectively. That’s why the DOE’s Office for Civil Rights is paying attention to the “alarming nationwide rise in reports of antisemitism, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and other forms of discrimination” in schools since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7, 2023.
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However, the nature of the discrimination in the college and K-12 schools is unclear. So far, the Department of Education has refused to disclose the kind of discrimination they are investigating the schools for. Also, three investigated schools have released statements explaining their side of things.
A district spokesperson from Cobb County explained to the press that they were under investigation because of a single complaint about a reported “anti-Muslim incident.” “All students in Cobb should feel safe and welcomed, we do not tolerate hate of any kind,” the spokesperson said.
Furthermore, a spokesperson for Tulane University said the incident they are being investigated for “took place at a rally organized by a group that is not recognized by Tulane.”
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“The rally was deliberately staged on public property contiguous to our campus but over which we have no control,” the university said. “As a result of assaults against Tulane students and a Tulane police officer at the rally, three individuals unaffiliated with the university were arrested on a variety of charges, including hate crimes.”
Like the DOE, the university didn’t precisely describe the nature of the discrimination they are investigating. However, the school officials have said there is more campus security and more training about antisemitism.
“Antisemitism and other forms of hate have no place at Tulane University,” the university said. “We are proud to be home to a large Jewish population where students can feel safe to express their cultural and religious identities as Jews.”
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The statement continued, “We will fully comply with the OCR’s investigation and look forward to sharing with them the facts of this incident and our continued effort to support a learning environment that is free of harassment and discrimination based on shared ancestry or national origin.”
Union College released a public statement saying, “We remain confident that our response to the very small number of reported incidents has been consistent with published policies and procedures, and with how we have responded to reports of alleged bias on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and other protected statuses.”
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