Following the Hamas attack on Israel, the US Department of Education has reportedly broadened the scope of its inquiry into claims of discrimination at six more educational institutions. Tulane University in Louisiana, Union College in New York, Cobb County School District in Georgia, University of Cincinnati in Ohio, Montana State University in Montana, and Santa Monica College in California are a few of the universities that have recently been added to the list.
This action comes after the Department of Education had declared that it will begin looking into claims of “Islamophobia” and antisemitism in schools. The dedication to creating secure and welcoming learning environments was underscored by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, who declared, “Hate has no place in our schools, period.”
Title IV of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which forbids discrimination based on a number of grounds, including race and national origin, is the focus of the investigations. Institutions that are discovered to be in breach of Title IV may lose their government funding.
Investigations into Cornell University, Columbia University, Wellesley College, Lafayette College, and the University of Pennsylvania have previously been announced by the Department of Education. In addition, there are allegations of antisemitism at Harvard University. The probe was started in response to strong criticism directed against Harvard President Claudine Gay for remarks she made at a House antisemitic hearing. This week, it was disclosed that Gay will not be asked to quit due to her remarks, in spite of the criticism.
The government’s dedication to resolving discrimination claims and guaranteeing a welcoming and accepting learning environment for every student is emphasized by the enlarged inquiries.