(ConservativeInsider.org) – Harvard University is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for potential civil rights violations following reports of anti-Semitic incidents by students reacting to the Israel-Hamas war. The federal inquiry comes in response to complaints about antisemitism on the Cambridge, Mass., campus since the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7th.
One viral campus incident involving pro-Palestinian protesters surrounding and harassing a Jewish student led to reports being filed with the Harvard Police and the FBI. On Tuesday, Harvard was included in the U.S. Department of Education’s list of Title VI civil rights violators, overseen by the Office for Civil Rights. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on nationality, race, or color and also includes harassment related to a person’s shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.
A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Education confirmed the Harvard University investigation on Tuesday. The spokesperson emphasized that the Department refrains from commenting on ongoing investigations.
After Hamas carried out deadly attacks on Israel, several Harvard student groups penned a letter blaming Israel for the attacks. Subsequently, individuals who endorsed the letter had their personal information exposed. On campus, pro-Palestinian protesters displayed banners and chanted phrases advocating for the end of Israel.
Dean of Harvard Business School, Srikant Datar, mentioned in October that the confrontation between pro-Palestinian demonstrators, which spilled onto the campus from Cambridge last Wednesday, and one of the school’s MBA students has left many students shaken and terrified. Srikant Datar said that the FBI and the HUPD have received reports, and while the investigation is ongoing, results may take some time to emerge. “The protest has prompted questions about how we address freedom of speech, hateful speech conflicting with our community values, and ensuring security and safety for everyone at Harvard.”
Meanwhile, in a Congressional hearing titled “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism,” UPenn, MIT, and Harvard leaders are scheduled to speak next week. North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx stated in a press release, “In recent weeks, several pockets of anti-Semitic demonstrations on college campuses have been observed. College administrators have, for the most part, allowed troubling rhetoric to persist and escalate.”
Copyright 2023, ConservativeInsider.org
