USA
George Washington University ‘deliberately indifferent’ to antisemitism, claims DoJ report
The DC-based college is alleged to have violated civil rights laws in its treatment of Jewish students
August 14, 2025 11:06
The DC-based college is alleged to have violated civil rights laws in its treatment of Jewish students
August 14, 2025 11:06George Washington University (GWU) has become the latest college to clash with the federal government over its alleged failure to deal with antisemitism on campus.
The Trump administration has claimed that the DC-based university broke civil rights laws by being "deliberately indifferent" to complaints of Jew-hatred during pro-Palestine protests that swept higher education last year.
According to an investigation by the Department of Justice (DoJ), GWU saw “numerous incidents of Jewish students being harassed, abused, intimidated and assaulted by protesters".
It also suggested that, when students complained about the abuse they were facing, GWU was "deliberately indifferent” and “hostile” to “the complaints it received, the misconduct that occurred, and the harms that were suffered by its students and faculty”.
The DoJ has given GWU until August 22 to agree on a plan to resolve the issue. “[GWU needs to] ensure immediate remediation of these issues and related reforms to prevent the recurrence of discrimination, harassment, and abuse," it said in a letter to the university.
Failure to do this could see the institution lose a significant proportion of its federal grant funding, as happened in similar cases involving Columbia and Harvard.
Speaking to The Guardian, GWU spokesperson Shannon McClendon said the university “condemns antisemitism", adding it "has absolutely no place on our campuses or in a civil and humane society".
She added: “Our actions clearly demonstrate our commitment to addressing antisemitic actions and promoting an inclusive campus environment by upholding a safe, respectful, and accountable environment.
“We have taken appropriate action under university policy and the law to hold individuals or organisations accountable, including during the encampment, and we do not tolerate behaviour that threatens our community or undermines meaningful dialogue.
“We have worked diligently with members of [GWU]’s Jewish community, as well as Jewish community organisations, city and federal authorities to protect the [university] community from antisemitism and we remain committed to working with them to ensure every student has the right to equal educational opportunities without fear of harassment or abuse.”
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