USA investigates anti-Semitic incidents at Chapman University

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has opened an investigation into a federal court complaint filed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law alleging that Chapman University failed to respond to anti-Semitic harassment and segregation of Jewish students in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The complaint highlights anti-Semitic incidents related to the organization Chapman Students for Justice in Palestine (CSJP) and its members.

CSJP, a local chapter of a nationwide anti-Zionist group, was reportedly involved in actions following the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, including expelling a Jewish student from the group and issuing death threats against another Jewish student.

One notable incident occurred in September 2022, when a Jewish student was excluded from the CSJP due to his Jewish-sounding last name. He was removed from the group’s lists and not accepted despite his efforts to become a member. This exclusion continued in October 2023, when the student and several others with Jewish-sounding names were excluded from a teach-in event hosted by the CSJP.

The complaint further describes how CSJP applies a discriminatory litmus test, denying admission to individuals suspected of being Jewish based on their last name unless they renounce their support for Israel. Non-Jewish students are not subjected to this test.

Another serious incident occurred on November 12, 2023, when a CSJP member sent a death threat to a Jewish student who had previously been expelled from the group. The threat followed her response to a social media post by the CSJP member calling for “death to all Israelis who follow Zionism.”

Despite reporting the threat to Chapman’s Department of Public Safety, the Jewish student continued to face harassment and fear for her safety because the university did not ban the threatening student from entering the campus.

The same CSJP member also posted anti-Semitic content on social media and vandalized a memorial on campus for Israeli victims of Hamas attacks. He falsely accused another Jewish student of theft and threatened him as well.

Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education, emphasized the urgency of addressing these civil rights violations. “Anti-Semitism remains rampant on college campuses. Too many universities refuse to do what is necessary to address these civil rights violations. It is imperative that federal authorities enforce the law,” Marcus said.

The Brandeis Center is calling for several corrective actions, including a full investigation into the death threat, ensuring equal access for Jewish students to student clubs, disciplining student groups that discriminate, revising anti-discrimination policies, and issuing a statement condemning anti-Semitism and recognizing Zionism as a key element of many students’ Jewish identity.

The Brandeis Center is also pursuing federal lawsuits against Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley, and has filed complaints against several other universities for unaddressed anti-Semitism. The organization works with partner institutions such as the Anti-Defamation League and StandWithUs in some cases.