Ranking Member Cassidy on Ongoing Antisemitic Attacks, Harassment of Jewish Students on College Campuses, Renews Call for Action
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a statement on the ongoing antisemitic attacks and harassment of Jewish students on college campuses nationwide.
“No student should fear for their safety at school. There are no grounds for a nuanced response to the sickening calls of violence against Jewish students,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Universities and the Department of Education have failed to fulfill their Title VI obligation to protect students. They need to act. The antisemitic scenes unfolding at Columbia University and college campuses across the country is bigotry manifested in violence and threats of violence. This should be responded to by expelling all perpetrators. There should be zero tolerance.”
“Chair Sanders and the Senate HELP Committee need to hold a hearing and conduct oversight of this eroding situation,” continued Dr. Cassidy.
Previously, Cassidy has called on HELP Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to hold hearings on antisemitism and with the Secretary of Education to provide oversight of the Department. Cassidy also sent letters urging the Biden administration to use its authority under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect Jewish students on college campuses and at K-12 schools around the country.
Earlier this year, Cassidy introduced legislation that empowers students to file federal civil rights complaints if they experience violence or harassment on college campuses due to their heritage, including antisemitism. This legislative effort came as a result of a Cassidy-led roundtable on antisemitism, where senators found that students were unaware they could report discrimination to the Department of Education (DeptEd) Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the entity tasked with ensuring federally funded activities at universities do not discriminate against students.
Cassidy also penned an op-ed in the Washington Examiner on the troubling influence of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology in higher education. While colleges have invested significant time and resources into promoting DEI policies, students are actively being discriminated against on campus in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7th massacre in Israel.
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