The University of Michigan fired a DEI employee for making anti-Semitic comments earlier this year, The New York Times reported. reported on thursday.
Rachel Dawson, director of the university's Office of Academic and Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI), claims that her school is “controlled by wealthy Jews,” and that Jewish students “are He was accused of saying, “I have special privileges.” The Michigan Defamation League (ADL) was obtained by the Times through a FOIA request.
Dawson also reportedly said, “Jews do not have genetic DNA that connects them to the Land of Israel.''
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The University of Michigan reportedly fired an official earlier this year for making anti-Semitic remarks. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
University of Michigan spokeswoman Colleen Mastonley would not confirm or deny Dawson's departure, saying the university “does not comment on personnel matters,” the Times reported.
But the administrator's attorney, Amanda Gunnum, announced this week that the school had fired Dawson.
According to the lawyer, staff members were initially instructed to undergo training after Dawson's comments, but Gannam denied that Dawson had made any anti-Semitic comments and the school's disciplinary action resulted in his client being ordered to undergo training. said that their rights had been violated.
“The university has clearly and blatantly violated Mr. Dawson's First Amendment rights and will take appropriate legal action,” Gannam said Thursday.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Gannam's office for comment.
The newspaper also noted that the emails it obtained revealed that “university leaders had planned to reduce Dawson's punishment, but the regents insisted he should be fired.” did.
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The Times obtained a memo from the school's legal representative in response to ADL's complaint. The report said that because “there was no recording of the conversation and there were no witnesses other than the caller and the subject of the investigation,” it was “not possible to determine with certainty whether Ms. Dawson made accurate statements.”
However, the memo went on to acknowledge that “the weight of the available evidence supports ADL Michigan's report.”
The news of Dawson's firing comes amid growing concerns about further escalation of anti-Semitism on the school's campus by pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting Israel's response to the October 7 Hamas massacre. .
Following the raucous demonstrations that disrupted many elite universities across the country, University of Michigan President Dr. Santa J. Ono appeared before the House Education and Labor Committee in May to testify on the issue.
At the time, commission Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R.N.C., told FOX News Digital, “The commission is concerned with the pattern of anti-Semitism on the campuses of Yale University and the University of Michigan and with the protection of Jewish students by these universities.” “We have identified a general failure in the industry that must be addressed.”
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ANN ARBOR, MI – MAY 4: Joseph Fisher chants during a pro-Palestinian protest during the University of Michigan's spring commencement ceremony at Michigan Stadium on May 4, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Nick Antaya/Getty Images) (Getty)
The University of Michigan's OAMI office oversees providing resources to help diverse and “underrepresented students” attend the school.
the site “By partnering with community colleges across Michigan, we help transfer students prepare for a successful transition to UM. Once they arrive here, the office is an inclusive community, and they are committed to helping students grow. A hub of resources to support you.”
Reports of DEI staff firings also come just a week after news broke that the university had ended requiring diversity statements in faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure.
The university said the diversity statement “has been criticized for potentially restricting freedom of expression and diversity of thought on campus.”
The University of Michigan did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital's Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.
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