House Announces Investigation into Universities Over ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’ Response to ‘Rampant Antisemitism’
Aaron M. Sprecher via AP
The Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce announced a formal investigation into Harvard, The University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Thursday after deeming their response to “rampant antisemitism” to be “absolutely unacceptable.”
In a statement, Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) declared:
The testimony we received earlier this week from Presidents Gay, Magill, and Kornbluth about the responses of Harvard, UPenn, and MIT to the rampant antisemitism displayed on their campuses by students and faculty was absolutely unacceptable.
Committee members have deep concerns with their leadership and their failure to take steps to provide Jewish students the safe learning environment they are due under law.
Given those institutional and personal failures, the Committee is opening a formal investigation into the learning environments at Harvard, UPenn, and MIT and their policies and disciplinary procedures. This investigation will include substantial document requests, and the Committee will not hesitate to utilize compulsory measures including subpoenas if a full response is not immediately forthcoming.
Foxx concluded, “The disgusting targeting and harassment of Jewish students is not limited to these institutions, and other universities should expect investigations as well, as their litany of similar failures has not gone unnoticed.”
On Tuesday, while testifying before the Committee, Harvard University President Claudine Gay refused to give a yes or no answer after she was asked whether she could look a Jewish student’s parents in the eye and tell them that their son or daughter “would feel safe and welcome” on campus.
After Gay was asked whether she would want “an avowed neo-Nazi” to be “part of the Harvard community,” she replied, “Those are not consistent with Harvard’s values, but at the same time, we allow a wide berth for free expression and a variety of views.”
Asked whether she would “want someone who has called for the eradication of the Jewish people to be part of the Harvard community,” Gay said, “Again, those are not consistent with Harvard values, where we are committed to making no space on our campus for anti-Semitism.”
