Federal Probe of Northwestern University Launched After Antisemitism Complaint

Protesters gather
AP Photo/Susan Walsh, file

An antisemitism complaint involving Northwestern University has triggered a federal investigation. The U.S. Department of Education opened a probe on Tuesday into allegations that the school has discriminated against Jewish students.

The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into Northwestern in response to a complaint filed by Campus Reform editor-in-chief Dr. Zachary Marschall over the university’s handling of antisemitic incidents, the outlet reported.

The complaint, filed January 10, alleges that Northwestern University has failed to appropriately respond to incidents of harassment of Jewish students following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, and that Jewish students at the school “have felt increasingly unwelcome” since the attack.

The filing also cites an October 12 vigil hosted by Students for Justice in Palestine near the school’s Deering Library, where the colors of the Palestinian flag were projected onto the building, according to a report by the Daily Northwestern.

Moreover, the vigil was attended by Vice President of Student Affairs Susan Davis, the report noted.

The complaint also points to an Instagram post from Northwestern’s Asian American Studies Program, which called Hamas a “political group” and objected to the phrase “Hamas is ISIS,” saying that such language was “Islamophobic.”

Additionally, more than 150 students reportedly staged a walkout on October 25, demanding that the school divest from organizations supporting Israel, claiming that the world’s only Jewish state is engaging in “genocide.”

Protestors were heard chanting, “Palestine will never die” and “Northwestern, you can’t hide — you’re paying for genocide.”

Notably, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights also opened an investigation into Arizona State University on Tuesday.

As Breitbart News reported, there has been an increase in antisemitic incidents on college campuses across the U.S. in the wake of October 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel — opening the eyes of many who are shocked to see how widespread and commonplace antisemitic rhetoric is in the world of academia.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X/Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.

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