Latest News from Campus

George Washington University (GW) has suspended its chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, citing violations of university policies during campus protests that followed the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. Additionally, six other student organizations have been placed on probation. Suspended groups will not receive official recognition, funding, or institutional support this semester, and those on probation must seek permission for on-campus events in the spring.

Jewish organizations, including the ADL, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, Hillel International, and Jewish Federations of North America, called on universities to “consistently enforce” codes of conduct around protests; appoint a coordinator to address Title VI discrimination complaints; reject academic boycotts of Israel; conduct annual student and faculty surveys in regard to campus antisemitism; crackdown on online harassment; and hold faculty accountable for political coercion and identity-based discrimination.

A 20-year-old Ohio resident, Timur Mamatov, pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime after attacking two Jewish students near Ohio State University in 2023. He asked if the victims were Jewish before assaulting them, breaking one student’s jaw and another’s nose. Mamatov now faces up to 10 years in prison.

A federal judge ordered the U.S. government to restore part of UCLA’s funding that it suspended, ruling that the funding freeze violated a preliminary injunction aimed at protecting research grants. The government previously cut approximately $584 million in funding due to anti-Israel campus protests and encampments in the spring of 2024.

Sofie Ramirez Soto joined Washington & Lee University as the Jewish life program director after serving as engagement coordinator at NYU Hillel for two years. In her new role, she will enrich Jewish life on campus and contribute to broader spiritual initiatives by overseeing the Hillel House, creating interfaith programming with campus ministers and student leaders, and strengthening connections with Jewish alumni and the Lexington community.

The U.S. government is seeking a $1 billion settlement from the University of California (UC), alleging the system failed to prevent antisemitic incidents during anti-Israel protests at UCLA  in the 2023-2024 academic year. The figure is five times the sum Columbia University agreed to pay to settle similar claims of antisemitism — and could be the largest settlement yet between the government and a higher education institution. UC officials say the payment would “completely devastate” California’s public universities.