CUNY urged to let feds probe antisemitism on its 25 campuses
A group combatting campus antisemitism is demanding the City University of New York allow federal civil rights investigators to probe accusations of anti-Israel bias on its 25 campuses.
Alums for Campus Fairness made the appeal while launching a six-figure digital and print campaign urging Gov. Kathy Hochul and CUNY Chairman Bill Thompson to “protect CUNY’s Jewish Students.”
“In the wake of repeated antisemitic incidents and the complete indifference of CUNY leaders, alumni and students will not sit idly by,” said ACF Executive Director Avi Gordon.
“New York’s leaders must bring in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office or Civil Rights to investigate antisemitism on CUNY campuses,” the ad says.
Gordon praised Gov. Kathy Hochul for recently approving a new law that requires any college or university that receives state funding to investigate and publicize campus hate crime statistics online.
“Now is the time for CUNY leadership, especially Chair Thompson, to correct course and take immediate action to create a safer environment for our community. This campaign continues our efforts to hold them accountable,” added Gordon.
The group cited a number of troubling anti-Jewish incidents at CUNY, mostly centered at its law school:
- CUNY Law School graduate Mousa Mohammed’s incendiary speech in May that accused Israel of encouraging “lynch mobs” and carrying out violence against Palestinians while the school’s dean was seen applauded her harangue. CUNY’s board of trustees and Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez condemned it as hate speech.
- Resolutions approved by CUNY Law’s faculty council and student government backing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions campaign against Israel.
A CUNY group issued a statement pledging to create programs and networks to challenge and critique Jews so that they may “unlearn” Zionism and their Jewish identity
Nerdeen Kiswani, CUNY Law’s graduation commencement speaker last year, praised ax-wielding terrorists who murdered three Jewish civilians and called to “globalize the intifada” and eradicate the State of Israel
Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez dodging a City Council hearing last year on antisemitism in the university system
CUNY, in a statement, insisted there isn’t a need for a federal probe of antisemitism at its schools.
“This campaign references a misleading report which is littered with factual inaccuracies and ignores the many steps CUNY has taken in the past year to combat antisemitism, including creating a portal for our community to report incidents of hate, partnering with the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism to raise awareness among the University community about antisemitism, distributing hundreds of thousands of dollars systemwide for programming specifically targeting antisemitism and all kinds of bigotry, and forming an advisory council of Jewish leaders to advise the Chancellor on matters concerning Jewish life at the University,” a CUNY spokesperson said.
“CUNY and its leadership have repeatedly and consistently denounced antisemitism and will continue to do so. We have more work to do but remain committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of hate.��
