The University of Michigan is on a list of 60 higher education institutions currently being investigated or monitored for potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to a recent U.S. Department of Education press release. The violations relate to antisemitic harassment and discrimination. U of M was the only Michigan school on the list.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights sent the letter on Monday, warning the schools of “potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations” to protect Jewish students on campus, according to the release.
Jewish students are protected under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating against individuals based on their “race, color, and national origin.” The Monday press release noted that “shared (Jewish) ancestry” is protected under that national origin component.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 29 to combat antisemitism. Following that signing, the Department of Education launched an investigation on February 3 into five universities where it said widespread antisemitism harassment was reported.
The 55 other schools that received a letter on Monday, including the U of M, are either under investigation or being monitored in response to complaints filed with the Office of Civil Rights. The office directed enforcement staff on Friday to resolve “the backlog of complaints alleging antisemitic violence and harassment, many of which were allowed to languish unresolved under the previous administration.”
Trump’s executive order states that students have been facing increased discrimination since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“Jewish students have faced an unrelenting barrage of discrimination; denial of access to campus common areas and facilities, including libraries and classrooms; and intimidation, harassment, and physical threats and assault,” the order reads.
While the Department of Education launched the investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice formed a multi-agency Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. The task force plans to focus on antisemitic harassment in all schools.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the release that U.S. colleges and universities benefit from public investment funded by taxpayers. She said that funding is dependent on adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws.
“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. University leaders must do better,” McMahon wrote in the release.
The Office for Civil Rights is monitoring U of M
The Office for Civil Rights reviewed 75 complaints filed with the University of Michigan between the beginning of the academic school year in August 2022 and February 2024. Those complaints alleged that the University of Michigan discriminated against students based on their national origin, particularly, but not exclusively based on their “shared Jewish ancestry/Israeli” identities.
In a legal analysis, the office voiced concern that the university did not appear to take steps to assess if incidents prompting those complains created a hostile environment for students, faculty, or staff. It also stated that the university appears not to have taken steps to end a hostile environment and prevent a recurrence.
While the University’s allegations were under investigation by the Office for Civil Rights, the University entered a resolution agreement with the office to resolve the allegations in June 2024. The office is currently monitoring the implementation of that agreement.
The University did not admit to wrongdoing in the agreement but did decide to take steps to address the complaints. These steps include reviewing its policies and procedures to ensure they address prohibition on discrimination due to one’s identity. The university also said it would provide annual training for students and employees on discrimination and harassment and it would conduct a climate assessment of the campus.
“This agreement reflects the university’s commitment to ensuring it has the tools needed to determine whether an individual’s acts or speech creates a hostile environment, and taking the affirmative measures necessary to provide a safe and supportive educational environment for all,” University President Santa Ono wrote in a statement following the agreement.
Actions the University of Michigan has taken
Some University of Michigan regents told Michigan Public that the University has worked in recent and past years to ensure its campus is inclusive and welcoming to all students.
University of Michigan Regent Mark Bernstein said this latest letter is not indicative of a lack of response against antisemitism.
“With respect to the University of Michigan, it's nonsense,” Bernstein said. “We have been, in my view, among the leaders in being robust and resolute in fighting antisemitism over the last many, many years, and in particular, over the last year and a half or so since October 7, and the tumultuous events that that has stirred up on our campus.”
U of M Regent Sarah Hubbard said U of M is taking the Department of Education’s message seriously. Hubbard said she is concerned about antisemitism on campus but also feels that recent changes on campus help ensure all students feel safe regardless of their identity.
While Bernstein acknowledged that antisemitism exists on campus and across the U.S., he also said the university has taken adequate measures to fight discrimination of students on campus.
“At the institutional level, however, the university has taken, I think, very important steps towards addressing antisemitism on our campus and more, and just as important, I would suggest, across our society.”
Hubbard said some of these steps include making changes to current policies and going further in applying policies already in place.
“We changed some policies to have more accountability in our system so that when there are bad actors on our campus that are doing things outside of our rules, we can go forward and really hold them accountable and talk with them about that in a way that wasn't a possibility before at first,” Hubbard told Michigan Public.
The University of Michigan suspended a student organization for two years in January and removed its funding after the organization protested for divestment from companies doing business with Israel. The suspension followed allegations that the organization, named Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, violated the U of M standards of conduct for recognized student organizations last year.
Bernstein said one other step U of M has taken to fight antisemitism includes establishing the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in December 2023. The institute aims to teach, research, and increase public engagement to combat antisemitism, divisiveness, and discrimination.
Bernstein said he believes the Trump administration’s campaign against antisemitism at schools and on university and college campuses is not actually aimed at fighting discrimination. He says he believes it’s part of a broad assault on higher education.
“If the administration was serious about fighting antisemitism, it wouldn't have cut half of the Department of Education, including the Office of Civil Rights that is responsible for fighting antisemitism on campus, or they wouldn't have hired people to be in their administration who are antisemites or tolerate antisemitic views or celebrate them in some instances,” Bernstein said.
Editor’s note: The University of Michigan holds Michigan Public’s broadcast license.
