By: Evelyn Kowalski
Staff-Writer
On March 10, the Department of Education sent letters to 60 colleges and universities that are under investigation for alleged antisemitism on their campus that could lead to losses of federal funding.
According to Forbes, the ED said all the schools could face penalties if the department determines they violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits government funds from going to schools that discriminate based on race, color or nationality. The ED claims the schools may have violated Title VI by “failing to protect Jewish students on campus.”
IU Bloomington was one of the universities that received the letter about incidents of antisemitism on campus. This could be a risk for Bloomington of losing their federal funding if it doesn’t get resolved, approximately $150 million for that campus alone in 2024.
There have been many pro-Palestinian protests since Oct. 2023, especially the student encampments in summer 2024, that some officials and students allege caused antisemitic incidents or harmed Jewish students on those campuses.
This is a big deal since March 7, when the Trump Administration cancelled about $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University, alleging harassment of Jewish students. The Trump Administration warned that it was “the first round of action” towards colleges and universities if they continue to allow the alleged antisemitism.
There hasn’t been any comment from IU Bloomington about what they are going to do, but according to Indiana Public Media, Jewish IU professors are trying to protect free speech to protect Jewish students. Some have said they feel like the investigation is putting a limit on the free speech of Jewish students who have the right to be heard, and that IU and that IU regulations and policies are already protecting Jewish students, and they feel safe.
“I don’t mean to question every person who says they’re afraid,” Jeffery Isaac, a political science professor at IU Bloomington, said to Indiana Public Media. “We need to listen to them. But that’s different than saying we need to shut down anything that disturbs them, and that’s what’s going on in this country now.”