The filings alleging civil rights violations were sent to the Education Department after Jewish students were ‘targeted’ by pro-Palestine activists
March 7, 2025 12:48
ByAndrew Bernard, Jewish News Syndicate
A collection of Jewish advocacy groups have filed formal complaints with the US Department of Education, alleging that a trio of California schools violated the civil rights of Jews and Israelis on campus.
The Anti-Defamation League, Jewish on Campus, StandWithUs and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law accuse the private school Scripps College and the public institutions Etiwanda Intermediate School and California State Polytechnic, Humboldt of ignoring “severe antisemitic harassment and intimidation” against students.
For example, “Anti-Israel campus protestors have thrown fake blood on Jewish students and vandalised a campus building while screaming ‘blood of our martyrs’” and “shouted antisemitic slurs at Jewish students and displayed hateful messages showing a Nazi swastika ‘equals’ a Jewish star of David”, per the complaint against Cal Poly Humboldt.
The complaint further alleged that demonstrators had “vandalised campus property with antisemitic slogans” and Jewish students had been harassed in a Sukkah by “shouting antisemitic invectives at them through a megaphone and glorifying the October 7 terrorist attack".
The filings allege that the schools allowed the creation of a "hostile environment” towards Jewish and violated the rights of Jewish students under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by failing to take “meaningful steps” to change that.
One issue on which all three complaints focussed is that antisemitic bigotry on campus is allegedly disguised or falsely framed as mere criticism of Israel.
“With increasing frequency, Jewish college and university students are being targeted due to the Jewish people’s connection to Israel,” the Humboldt complaint claims. “On college campuses... the word ‘Zionist’ is frequently used as a codeword, proxy term or dog-whistle for ‘Jew’ among those seeking to disguise their antisemitism. Students report being shunned, harassed, marginalized and excluded as ‘Zionists.’”
Schools that fail to recognise that the Jewish connection to Israel is a key part of the identity of many Jews risk running afoul of the law, according to Kenneth Marcus, founder and chairman of the Brandeis Center and a former head of the Department of Education’s civil rights office.
“The law and federal government recognise Jews share a common faith, and they are a people with a shared history and heritage rooted in the land of Israel,” Marcus stated. “Schools that continue to ignore either aspect of Jewish identity are becoming dangerous breeding grounds for escalating anti-Jewish bigotry and they must be held accountable.”
The filings urge the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights to enforce a range of remedies at each of the three schools to address Jew-hatred, from agreeing that “Zionism” is frequently used as a codeword for “Jew” to paying for any therapy that a 12-year-old Jewish girl at the Etiwanda school might need after she was allegedly physically assaulted by a classmate.
“Jewish students deserve consistent support from their university administrators, not calls to hide their Jewish identity,” stated Julia Jassey, co-founder and CEO of Jewish on Campus. “We urge a swift investigation and a campus climate where no student has to endure such intimidation.”
A spokesperson for Cal Poly Humboldt said: “Cal Poly Humboldt is reviewing the federal complaint and will, of course, fully cooperate with the Office of Civil Rights in any investigation.
"Hatred or discrimination in any form, including anti-semitism, is contrary to our core values.
"The University unequivocally condemns all acts of hatred, bigotry, and violence, and we are committed to keeping safe our students, staff, and faculty of all religions. We will continue to work together to foster a learning and working environment where we can all feel safe, included, and respected.”
The JC has contacted Scripps and Etiwanda for comment.