The Trump administration is launching a civil rights investigation of four prominent medical schools over reported acts of antisemitism that allegedly occurred during their recent commencement ceremonies.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the institutions under investigation were the Harvard Medical School, the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
A February 3 press release from the Department of Health and Human Services indicated that compliance reviews were being initiated at four unnamed institutions “following reports of antisemitic incidents during their 2024 commencement ceremonies.” The investigations will focus on “whether the medical schools complied with their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act to not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin.”
According to the press release, the reviews were prompted by reports of “incidents of antisemitism and displays of offensive symbols and messaging during the ceremonies, including alleged expressions of support for terrorist organizations.”
“Every student deserves access to educational opportunities free from discrimination and harassment,” said Anthony Archeval, Acting Director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, in the release. “These compliance reviews reflect our commitment to ensuring that institutions receiving federal funding maintain learning environments that are safe and non-discriminatory for all students.”
According to the The Harvard Crimson, the Harvard Medical School has been asked by HHS to turn over “books, records, accounts, and other sources of information” that may pertain to the department’s investigation of antisemitism at Harvard’s May commencement. Harvard has also been asked to provide a list of medical school employees who witnessed the May 2024 protests.
HMS spokesperson Laura Decoste wrote in a statement to The Crimson that Harvard administrators were reviewing the HHS request.“Harvard Medical School condemns antisemitism and remains committed to combatting all forms of discrimination and harassment,” Decoste added. Public statements have not yet been made by the other schools.
The new investigations follow President Donald Trump’s issuing of an Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism on January 29 and represent one more step in the new administration’s efforts to crack down on alleged antisemitism on college campuses.
On Monday, the Department of Justice created a task force, which will include representatives from HHS, the Department of Educatiion and other agencies, to investigate complaints of antisemitism at U.S. colleges and universities. It said the first priority for that task force “will be to root out anti-Semitic harassment in schools and on college campuses.”
Also on Monday, the U.S. Department of Education announced it was beginning probes into reports of antisemitic harassment at five universities — the University of Minnesota, Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, and the University of California, Berkeley. The agency said the probe was in response to the “explosion of antisemitism on American campuses following the Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.”
“Too many universities have tolerated widespread antisemitic harassment and the illegal encampments that paralyzed campus life last year, driving Jewish life and religious expression underground. The Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable,” said Craig Trainor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, in the announcement.