WASHINGTON – Following collegiate organization’s pro-Hamas statements and calls for a “National Day of Resistance” on October 12, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, demanding immediate action to address antisemitism on America’s college and university campuses. 

In the letter, Owens and his colleagues write: “Schools have a legal obligation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide all students, including Jewish students, a school environment free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics. In May, the U.S. Department of Education launched its Antisemitism Awareness Campaign. An aspect of the Awareness Campaign was the promise to visit college campuses to learn more about antisemitism. However, as demonstrated by the rhetoric and recent actions of students across the country, antisemitic beliefs on college campuses are rampant and must not go unchallenged.” 

The letter continues: “In light of developing events, we encourage the Department to engage immediately with colleges and universities on their obligations to take prompt and appropriate action to respond to harassment that creates a hostile environment for Jewish students. This should include placing those universities that have instances of student support for terrorism at the top of the list of universities to visit. Please immediately inform us of any actions that have been a part of the Antisemitism Awareness Campaign, including any prior or planned campus visits.” 

The full text of the letter is available here. 

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