DOJ Finds George Washington University Violated Civil Rights

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Tuesday that George Washington University (GWU) has failed to address antisemitic harassment and discrimination on its campus, violating federal civil rights protections.

During pro-Palestine protests in April and May 2024, Jewish, American Israeli, and Israeli students reported experiencing a “hostile educational environment,” according to the DOJ.

In a letter to GWU President Ellen M. Granberg, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon outlined the findings of their investigation. It was revealed that GWU displayed “deliberate indifference” to complaints from Jewish and Israeli students and faculty, which contravenes Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The lack of response to known incidents of harassment contributed to a hostile educational setting.

“Courts have determined that when students frequently face antisemitic slurs, threats, or physical attacks from peers, such harassment can create a hostile environment,” the letter noted.

One incident detailed in the letter involved plaintiffs facing antisemitic slurs, witnessing swastika graffiti, and enduring derogatory ‘jokes.’ Some were even told they “should have been burned in the Holocaust.”

Jewish students reported being physically assaulted, including being slapped and having coins thrown at them.

The letter highlighted a specific anti-Israel encampment that took place in GWU’s University Yard during graduation ceremonies. A student claimed that GWU’s Assistant Dean of Students told him to move away from the encampment after being surrounded and harassed by antisemitic protesters. This directive implied blame on the student for the confrontational situation, suggesting that his presence was inflaming tensions.

Moreover, the letter indicated that the threatening and humiliating behavior experienced by Jewish and Israeli students is not protected by free speech rights.

“The behavior was clearly reprehensible, immoral, and illegal,” the document stated.

The DOJ concluded that GWU had not acted reasonably to investigate or remedy the harassment, which constitutes deliberate indifference.

“Considering the severe and shockingly offensive nature of the allegations, it seems the lack of action from the university to educate students on the consequences of such discrimination or to investigate the harassers was an inadequate response,” the letter expressed.

In a related development, last week, over half a billion dollars in federal grants were cut from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), for similar failures to protect their Jewish students and staff, which also violates the Equal Rights Amendment of 1964.