RALEIGH — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has issued warning letters to 60 higher education institutions about Title VI violations related to antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
The letters caution the universities about potential enforcement actions if they fail to fulfill their legal obligations to protect Jewish students on campus, including ensuring uninterrupted access to facilities and educational opportunities. The measures align with President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Additional Measures to Combat Antisemitism.”
“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “University leaders must do better.”
“U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws.”
Among the 60 schools named is the University of North Carolina. The press release did not specify a particular UNC campus. The UNC System provided a copy of the letter from the OCR to North State Journal.
The letter, issued by Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Graig Trainor, outlines the campus protests and antisemitic activity following the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel, noting, “The previous administration failed to meet the moment.”
“That state of affairs ended on January 20, 2025,” Trainor’s letter states. “I write to remind you of your legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), and to emphasize that, under President Trump and Secretary McMahon, OCR will no longer tolerate these unlawful practices.
“The Trump Administration’s commitment to ending the scourge of antisemitism is unyielding. Schools should take all lawful and appropriate measures to protect Jewish students, faculty, and staff from the predations of antisemitic antagonists, whether in the classroom, on campus, or within educational programs and activities.
“Schools that allow illegal activities and harassment that result in Jewish students losing equal access to school facilities are in violation of Title VI and will be subject to potential loss of federal funding.”
Additionally, the department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) directed its enforcement staff to prioritize resolving the backlog of complaints alleging antisemitic violence and harassment. The press release notes that many complaints “were allowed to languish unresolved under the previous administration.”
UNC Chapel Hill, where pro-Palestinian protests erupted last year, already has a Title VI complaint filed against it involving antisemitism and discrimination against Jewish students. David Weisberg, a Jewish American attorney, filed the complaint. He also alleges the school breached a prior resolution reached in 2019 with OCR. The complaint was filed in 2024 and involves a string of incidents in and out of the classroom following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.
The move follows the department’s investigations into five universities where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported following the terror attack on Israel. The remaining 55 universities are under investigation or monitoring in response to complaints filed with OCR.
The department recently took significant action against Columbia University, announcing the cancellation of $400 million in federal grants and contracts due to the university’s alleged continued failure to protect Jewish students from discrimination.
