Latest News from Campus

UC Berkeley and Pomona College have reached settlement agreements with Jewish groups and individuals who filed complaints about how the schools handled incidents of antisemitism stemming from anti-Israel protests in 2023 and 2024. As part of the deal, Berkeley is paying $60,000 to an Israeli professor who says she was not rehired due to her nationality, despite teaching a successful class. The university also issued a formal apology to the professor and said she has been invited back to teach the same class in the future. Separately, Pomona College agreed to hire a Title VI civil rights coordinator and create a task force on Jewish life and antisemitism on campus.

Harvard University recently appointed Elom Tettley-Tamaklo, an anti-Israel activist, as a graduate teaching fellow. Tettley-Tamaklo, an undergraduate student at the time, assaulted a Jewish student during an anti-Israel protest in 2023 and did not face disciplinary charges from the university. In related news, Columbia University promoted history professor Manan Ahmed from associate professor to full professor. In May 2024, Ahmed prevented Jewish students from entering a pro-Palestinian encampment.

85% of Jewish students reported experiencing or witnessing antisemitic activity on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus, according to a survey by Penn Hillel. The survey also showed that while 96% of respondents reported pride in their Jewish identity, more than one in three Jewish students felt the need to hide their identity on campus.

Northwestern University agreed to pay the federal government $75 million over three years to restore nearly $790 million in frozen federal research funds and end a government antisemitism investigation. The university also agreed to strengthen protections for Jewish students, review international admissions, and provide training on campus norms.

Toronto police arrested an anti-Israel activist, for allegedly using a drill bit to break a glass door during an IDF veterans’ speaking tour at Toronto Metropolitan University. Qabil Ibrahim, who is the sixth anti-Israel activist to have been charged in relation to the incident, faces charges including forcible entry, assault, unlawful assembly while masked, property damage, and interference.

Two Jewish alumni sued Chapman University, claiming they faced “a campaign of harassment lasting for the entire duration of the 2023-2024 school year, enacted with Chapman’s direct approval,” citing death threats and desecration  of Oct. 7 memorials. The lawsuit centers on alleged Title VI violations of the Civil Rights Act.