KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The U.S. Department of Education has warned the University of Tennessee and dozens of other colleges that they may face “potential enforcement actions” due to potentially not complying with federal obligations to protect Jewish students.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights sent letters to 60 colleges and universities on Monday who, according to an official release, are “presently under investigation for Title VI violations relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination.”
📧 Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts →
Last month, the department announced investigations into five schools, including Columbia University and The University of California, Berkeley, over reports of antisemitic harassment. The federal government has since canceled $400 million in grants to Columbia. Tennessee is among 55 additional universities under investigation or monitoring in response to complaints filed with Office for Civil Rights, according to the release.
A university spokesperson issued the following statement in response to an inquiry by 6 News.
An individual student filed a Title VI complaint in 2023 based on an unrelated set of events in 2023 that they witnessed and/or heard about. The student engaged with a variety of university offices in 2023, and the offices worked to support the student. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights reached out with a request for information about the student’s concerns in 2024. The university has cooperated fully with OCR. The university takes its responsibility to maintain an environment free of illegal discrimination very seriously. Any time we are made aware of any issue, we provide support and resources to any potentially impacted students, and also inform them about their right to file a complaint either with a campus office or OCR, as appropriate.
University of Tennessee Director of Media and Internal Relations Kerry Gardner
Like many schools across the country, Tennessee saw Pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus last year with protestors imploring the university to, among other requests, divest from Israeli companies and end recruitment for Israeli weapon manufacturers. Multiple protestors were arrested over potential violations of the state’s anti-camping law or university rules.
“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. University leaders must do better,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “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.”
