New York legislators in Washington are urgently working to pass measures aimed at addressing antisemitism on college campuses amidst ongoing protests at Columbia University and other educational institutions nationwide.
On Friday, Republican Congressman Mike Lawler and Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres jointly introduced legislation in response to the continuing demonstrations at Columbia University, which have fostered an environment many Jewish students perceive as unwelcoming and unsafe — and have included hate crimes.
Dubbed the College Oversight and Legal Updates Mandating Bias Investigations and Accountability (COLUMBIA) Act, the bill directly references the unrest at Columbia University, where a week-long encampment has led to confrontations and instances of antisemitism and hatred, causing distress and anguish among Jewish students during Passover.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) noted in an April 24 report that “protesters at Columbia University, including students affiliated with the encampment and other individuals who have gathered at the campus’ main entrance gates in solidarity, have repeatedly expressed explicit support for violence.”
The proposed COLUMBIA Act seeks to authorize the federal Department of Education to appoint a third-party antisemitism monitor for any college or university receiving federal funding. This monitor, appointed by the Secretary of Education, would operate under terms and conditions set by the Secretary, with all associated expenses borne by the selected institution. Failure to comply with the monitor’s directives would result in the loss of federal funds.
Additionally, the monitor would be required to issue quarterly reports publicly, evaluating the progress made by the college or university in combating antisemitism on campus and providing policy recommendations to Congress, the Secretary, and relevant state and local authorities as necessary.
“Rising antisemitism on our college campuses is a major concern and we must act to ensure the safety of students,” said Lawler. “I’m proud to work with my friend and colleague Ritchie Torres on legislation that will impose a third-party antisemitism monitor on college campuses to ensure protections are in place and oversee any troubling action by college administrators. If colleges will not step up to protect their students, Congress must act.”
Torres said the hostile environment against Jewish students at Columbia and other campuses is “a blatant violation of Title VI and the federal government cannot allow this to continued unchecked.”
“As we have seen over the last half a year since Oct. 7, campus antisemitism is at an all-time high, and American universities are not capable of handling it when left to their own devices. My office and I have spoken with countless Jewish students from campuses across America who feel deeply unsafe, purely as a result of their religious and ethnic identity,” said Torres. “This past week’s crisis at Columbia is not an isolated incident — it is the straw that has broken the camel’s back — and I am prepared to do something about it.
‘Antisemitism Awareness Act’
The bill from Lawler and Torres comes a day after U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, alongside 29 other senators, announced the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act.
Gillibrand’s legislation aims to combat antisemitic sentiment and actions on college campuses by mandating that the U.S. Department of Education consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.
If enacted, the Antisemitism Awareness Act would formalize the Department of Education’s adoption of the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism, which serves as a crucial tool for identifying and addressing various forms of antisemitism.
Since 2018, the Department of Education has utilized the IHRA definition in investigating Title VI violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This definition is endorsed by President Biden’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, featured in President Biden’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, and has been utilized by the State Department since the Obama administration.
“In recent years, and especially over the past several months, we have seen a disturbing rise in antisemitism across the country and on our college campuses,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This rise is unacceptable, and we must do more to protect our students. The Antisemitism Awareness Act would ensure the Department of Education has the right legal definitions needed to take action against all forms of antisemitism on our college campuses. No student should ever be the victim of antisemitic discrimination, and I am committed to working with my colleagues to get this vital bill passed.”
