U. S. Education Department , finds’ proof’ of common’ shared heritage discrimination’ on campus ,
Following an investigation that concluded the school good “operated a angry culture” for some individuals, the U.S. Department of Education has mandated shifts at Rutgers University.
The department’s Office for Civil Rights “identified Title VI compliance concerns regarding both different treatment of students based on their shared ancestry as well as the university’s response to reports of alleged harassment and possible hostile environments for students based on students ‘ national origin ( including shared Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and/or South Asian ancestry and/or association with these national origins/shared ancestries )”, its news release states.
Additionally, it adds that the “evidence the university has produced during OCR’s investigation so far reflects that ]it ] likely operated a hostile environment.”
OCR’s research reviewed over 400 information of” shared heritage bias” from July 2023 to June 2024. Of these, 293 included allegations of discrimination or harassment against students of Jewish heritage or Jewish nature, while 147 involved related allegations against students of Arab, Egyptian, South Asian, or Muslim heritage.
Information included situations like those who encouraged violence against an Jewish pupil on social media, threatened Israeli fraternity people, blocked Jewish students from entering an encampment, vandalized the university’s” Center for Islamic Life,” discriminated against individuals based on their race, and more.
According to the Resolution Agreement, Rutgers must now better train campus police officers and “employees responsible for investigating complaints and other reports of discrimination” in order to address the issues.
The school will also conduct “listening sessions” and create an assessment to “evaluate the climate with respect to national origin.” The agreement requires Rutgers to” submit for OCR’s review and approval a description of the tools used for conducting the climate assessment.”
However, The Washington Free Beacon called the settlement” toothless” as” the school didn’t admit wrongdoing and agreed only to underwhelming measures, such as reviewing its nondiscrimination policies”.
A university spokesman told the Free Beacon that the school “reached a voluntary agreement with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights to continue to take steps to clarify, communicate, and review its policies and procedures related to discrimination and harassment, especially around national origin.”
The university will always work to strengthen the policies and procedures that protect our students, faculty, and staff, and the Rutgers community, which stands steadfastly against discrimination and harassment in all its forms. The Office of Civil Rights provided the spokesperson with advice, noting that Rutgers is grateful.
According to a report from The College Fix, the faculty unions at Rutgers last month approved a resolution to divest from what they claim is “genocide in Palestine.”
The joint resolution, which was approved by the main faculty union and the one representing adjuncts, called on the school to adopt a boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement against Israel.
MORE: Rutgers RAs walk out of trainings, allege’ anti-Palestinian racism ‘
IMAGE: Colin Rugg/X
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