UCLA under scrutiny as part of House investigation into anti-Semitism on campus

The United States House of Representatives announced Monday that it has launched a review of UCLA’s federal funding and learning environment amid the Department of Education’s investigation into anti-Semitism on the university’s campus.

In a letter signed by six Republican committee chairs and addressed to Chancellor Gene Block, UC President Michael Drake and UC Board of Regents Chairman Richard Leib, the House expressed concern about the “ongoing and widespread acts of anti-Semitic harassment and intimidation” at UCLA. The letter said that based on these allegations of discrimination, which include anti-Semitic harassment and intimidation, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened an investigation into UCLA for violations of the common descent law under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

(Related link: UCLA included in Title VI investigation over alleged ethnic discrimination)

According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, Title VI protects students at federally funded institutions from discrimination – including harassment – based on their actual or perceived ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, or residence in a country with a predominant religion or strong religious identity.

“The House of Representatives will not tolerate the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, anti-Semitic, and anti-American supporters of terrorism,” the letter said.

The House Appropriations Committee launched investigations into several universities on Nov. 15 for anti-Semitism on their campuses. The Education and Workforce Committee – chaired by Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, who signed the letter – launched its investigation into UCLA on May 15, the letter said. The investigation will examine compliance with Title VI on UCLA’s campus, safety concerns when the learning environment is disrupted, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act, the letter said.

This investigation came after Block’s May 23 hearing before the Republican-majority committee on anti-Semitism on campus. At the hearing, Block agreed with other university leaders that the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — recited at UCLA’s Palestinian solidarity camp — can be considered anti-Semitic. But he disagreed with the claim that UCLA has become a “hotbed” of anti-Semitism.

(See also: Gene Block faces scrutiny for his response to protests at Congressional anti-Semitism hearing)

The letter said the investigation into anti-Semitism on campus had been expanded to a congressional investigation in four additional jurisdictions, including the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, the House Judiciary Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

“The undersigned committee chairs are proud to undertake this work with significant bipartisan support and will not rest until the facts are known and UCLA and others restore a safe learning environment for your students,” the letter said.