The U.S. Department of Education has opened a federal investigation into alleged anti-Semitism at Johns Hopkins University, putting the spotlight on two open letters issued during the recent Israel-Hamas conflict that called for a ceasefire. The probe which started in February, centers on statements made by university faculty and a graduate student union in the weeks following the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed by Zachary Marschall, a conservative activist unaffiliated with Johns Hopkins. Marschall, the Jewish editor-in-chief of the Campus Reform watchdog site, alleges that the statements fostered an “unwelcome and unsafe” environment for Jewish students on campus.
At the heart of the controversy are two ceasefire appeals – one signed by over 120 Johns Hopkins faculty members and another issued by the university’s graduate student union, Teachers & Researchers United. Both statements condemned Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which were launched in response to rocket attacks by the Hamas militant group.
The faculty statement, published on November 3rd “in solidarity with Gaza,” denounced “the horrific ongoing violence inflicted on the Palestinian people” and urgently called for “an end to the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip.” While acknowledging “the loss of Palestinian and Israeli lives,” the letter did not mention the Hamas rocket attacks that precipitated the conflict.
Similarly, the graduate student union statement from October condemned “the genocide and occupation of Palestinians,” accusing Israel of imposing “systemic apartheid” since 1948. It also called on Johns Hopkins to disclose any financial or research ties supporting the Israeli military.
Marschall’s complaint argues that these statements, particularly the faculty letter endorsed by a Muslim rights group critical of Israel, created a hostile environment for Jewish students. He asserts that “endorsing” atrocities committed by Hamas, such as “rape, hostage-taking, murder, and torture,” should not be considered legitimate political speech.
The university, while stating it “abhors anti-Semitism and discrimination,” defended the rights of its community members “to protest, demonstrate and share their views” under principles of academic freedom and free expression. However, it acknowledged that “acts of hate or discrimination, including religious discrimination,” are “antithetical” to its values.
The Johns Hopkins investigation joins two other “shared ancestry” discrimination cases opened by the Department of Education this week, involving a Lutheran university in Washington state and a school district in Louisiana. It reflects the department’s heightened scrutiny of campus anti-Semitism nationwide in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
As debates over academic freedom, political speech, and alleged anti-Semitism continue to swirl, the federal probe will likely put pressure on Johns Hopkins to take measures to protect its Jewish student population while balancing free speech rights.
Contributions from this article are from The Jerusalem Post