By Naveen Athrappully
Contributing Writer
The Department of Justice has found George Washington University in violation of federal law in its handling of pro-Palestinian protests.
The assessment was leveled after a civil rights investigation, according to a Tuesday statement.
GWU was found to have been “deliberately indifferent” after receiving numerous complaints about antisemitic discrimination, abuses and harassment faced by Jewish and Israeli students and faculty members, said a letter by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division addressed to GWU President Ellen M. Granberg.
GWU’s actions violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, the department said.
The DOJ has offered GWU a voluntary resolution agreement, saying that if the matter is not mitigated soon, the department will proceed with enforcing the civil rights law.
The university has been issued an Aug. 22 deadline to indicate whether it will initiate a dialogue as part of the resolution process.
GWU receives direct federal financial assistance and could lose such funding. It could also be liable for further legal action.
“Every student has the right to equal educational opportunities without fear of harassment or abuse,” said Dhillon. “No one is above the law, and universities that promulgate antisemitic discrimination will face legal consequences.”
According to the letter, if a school deliberately declines to take meaningful action after learning of “harassment that was so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive” that it deprives the victim of access to educational benefits, then the institution is said to have established a “hostile educational environment.”
The letter details incidents during protests held “from approximately April 25, 2024, well into May 2024.”
During the pro-Palestinian protests, which were eventually cleared out by police on May 8, 2024, the agitators made efforts to “frighten, intimidate and deny Jewish, Israeli and American-Israeli students free and unfettered access to GWU’s educational environment,” Dhillon’s letter said.
“Jewish students were afraid to attend class, to be observed, or, worse, to be ‘caught’ and perhaps physically beaten on GWU’s campus.”
Despite parents, students and alumni reaching out to GWU to express their alarm and concern, school authorities took no meaningful action, the letter said.
In an emailed statement, a GWU spokesperson said, “GW condemns antisemitism, which has absolutely no place on our campuses or in a civil and humane society. Moreover, our actions clearly demonstrate our commitment to addressing antisemitic actions and promoting an inclusive campus environment by upholding a safe, respectful and accountable environment.”
Besides taking action to hold individuals who encamped on campus accountable, the university has “worked diligently with members of GW’s Jewish community, as well as Jewish community organizations, city and federal authorities to protect the GW community from antisemitism and we remain committed to working with them to ensure every student has the right to equal educational opportunities without fear of harassment or abuse.”
‘Dangerous Occupation of GW Property’
On May 5, 2024, Granberg published a letter on the university’s website regarding the protests on campus.
The GWU president said that “issues at the heart of this protest are important and deserve our full attention and consideration. There is a dire humanitarian crisis occurring in Gaza that must be addressed.”
Although she encouraged the community to “engage in controversial and critical dialogues,” she said the actions taken by students are “not a peaceful protest protected by the First Amendment or our university’s policies.”
She termed the demonstrations “an illegal and potentially dangerous occupation of GW property.”
“When protesters overrun barriers established to protect the community, vandalize a university statue and flag, surround and intimidate GW students with antisemitic images and hateful rhetoric, chase people out of a public yard based on their perceived beliefs, and ignore, degrade and push GW Police officers and university maintenance staff, the protest ceases to be peaceful or productive.”
Granberg also referenced individuals who were unaffiliated with the university taking part in the demonstrations.
After the police cleared out protesters in May, pro-Palestinian demonstrators returned to the GWU campus in late August, according to media reports.
The Education Department under the Trump administration has taken action against several universities for antisemitic violations during protests that spread across U.S. college campuses in the wake of Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the Israeli military responses in Gaza that ensued.
In July, Columbia University agreed to pay $200 million to resolve discrimination allegations, in exchange for restoring federal grants worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Earlier this month, Brown University agreed to pay $50 million as part of its settlement with the federal government.
