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When Trump signed his EO ostensibly about antisemitism, some of us warned the real target was campus free speech critical of Israel.
Complaints filed in wake of the EO demonstrate we were correct.
This thread (which I will endeavor to keep up to date) will track them.
Complaints filed in wake of the EO demonstrate we were correct.
This thread (which I will endeavor to keep up to date) will track them.
12/19/19: "Lawfare Project files OCR complaint against Columbia University on behalf of Jewish-Israeli student, first since issuance of President's Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism" https://www.thelawfareproject.org/releases/2019/12/19/breaking-lawfare-project-files-ocr-complaint-against-columbia-university-on-behalf-of-jewish-israeli-student-first-since-issuance-of-presidents-executive-order-on-combating-anti-semitism
12/19/19: 8 GOP reps, led by Grothman (R-WI) write to Education Secretary DeVos "expressing compliance concerns with Title VI-funded Middle East Studies National Resource Centers (NRCs)" https://grothman.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1368
12/12/19: Based on Middle East Forum arguments, Rep. Riggleman (R-VA) asks DeVos to investigate Georgetown claiming “systematic support for biased, anti-American, pro-BDS individuals and scholarship”
https://www.meforum.org/documents/2019-12-Ushor-Riggleman-Georgetown-University.pdf
https://www.meforum.org/documents/2019-12-Ushor-Riggleman-Georgetown-University.pdf
12/19/19: Duke University to tackle antisemitism on campus following ZOA complaint https://m.jpost.com/Diaspora/Antisemitism/Duke-University-to-tackle-antisemitism-on-campus-following-ZOA-complaint-611447/amp
1/3/20: ACLJ Files Federal Complaint to Combat Anti-Semitism on Major University Campus (Georgia Tech) https://aclj.org/israel/aclj-files-federal-complaint-to-combat-anti-semitism-on-major-university-campus
Columbia University Faces Second Recent Complaint Alleging Antisemitic Discrimination https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/12/23/columbia-university-faces-second-recent-complaint-alleging-antisemitic-discrimination/
1/8/19: OCR to Investigate UCLA for Title VI Violations Based on Complaints Filed by StandWithUs and Zachor Legal Institute https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/506540988/ocr-to-investigate-ucla-for-title-vi-violations-based-on-complaints-filed-by-standwithus-and-zachor-legal-institute
The Middle East Forum is celebrating! Georgetown Gets a Title VI Wakeup Call - The days of using federal funding for anti-Semitic programs [i.e., critical of Israel] may be over. https://spectator.org/georgetown-gets-a-title-vi-wakeup-call/
University of Michigan on the Title VI hotseat with claims that planned student conference on Palestinians qualifies as antisemitism, since criticism of Israel = hostile environment for Jewish students (led, once again, by Zachor Legal Institute) . https://www.jns.org/pro-israel-groups-urge-university-of-michigan-to-cancel-sjp-conference-featuring-vicious-anti-semites/
Also see: Enforcing President Trump’s Executive Order on Campus - by IAC’s Joseph Sabag & Zachor Legal Institute’s Ron Machol https://spectator.org/enforcing-president-trumps-executive-order-on-campus/
“It may have been easy for DoE staff to ignore internal guidance from Assistant Secretary Marcus” to use the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. “The Executive Order had the effect of removing any doubt” about the definition." https://spectator.org/using-the-power-of-the-executive-to-protect-jewish-students/
Univ of Michigan: University of Michigan has to cancel SJP conference say pro-Israel groups [lawfare group threats to file Title VI complaint if not canceled] https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Antisemitism/University-of-Michigan-has-to-cancel-SJP-conference-say-pro-Israel-groups-614937
2/13/20 article on the UCLA case (OCR investigation of UCLA over an SJP event on campus) https://jewishjournal.com/news/nation/310711/department-of-education-to-investigate-ucla-over-sjp-conference/
2/10: Freedom Center Plans Title VI Suit Against Claremont Colleges for Funding Jew Hatred https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/02/freedom-center-plans-title-vi-suit-against-sara-dogan/
2/28/20 - Rep. Gosar (R-AZ) sends letter to DeVos asking Dept of Ed to investigate the Center for Middle East Studies at Univ of AZ (for “support biased, anti-American, pro-BDS faculty and research.”) https://www.jns.org/paul-gosar-sends-letter-to-devos-raising-concern-about-mideast-studies-at-the-university-of-arizona/
Telling that Gosar’s letter is posted on website of Middle East Forum. Read it to appreciate the breadth/depth of the conflation b/w criticism of Israel and antisemitism - & to grasp flagrant way that conflation is being used to try to quash free speech.
https://www.meforum.org/documents/Gosar-Letter-Title-VI-DeVos.pdf
https://www.meforum.org/documents/Gosar-Letter-Title-VI-DeVos.pdf
ICYMI: Here’s a giddy op-ed by a MEF staffer celebrating how exploitation of the conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism is going to make it possible to destroy Middle East studies programs at US universities. https://spectator.org/trump-executive-order-applied-congressman-asks-feds-to-investigate-the-u-of-arizona-for-anti-semitism/
After Trump anti-Semitism executive order, uncertainty for Stanford administration, Jewish community https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/03/16/after-trump-anti-semitism-executive-order-uncertainty-for-stanford-administration-jewish-community/
"Most of the acts of anti-Semitism that we’ve seen … have been acts of religious intolerance, and yet the executive order is very specific around Israel, and having an Israel-focused definition of anti-Semitism"
Trump’s personal lawyer’s org: Groundbreaking: U.S. Dept. of Education Agrees with ACLJ Request to Investigate Anti-Semitic “Palestine 101” Event at Georgia Tech https://aclj.org/battling-anti-semitism/groundbreaking-us-dept-of-education-agrees-with-aclj-request-to-investigate-anti-semitic-palestine-101-event-at-georgia-tech
6/16/20: Rep. Lamborn asks DeVos to investigate University of California at Berkeley's Center for Middle East Studies (CMES) for alleged Title VI violations linked to criticism of Israel https://www.docdroid.net/foinlSI/rep-lamborn-title-vi-funding-letter-to-sec-devos-june-16-2020-pdf
Middle East Forum’s article crowing about Lamborn's letter targeting Berkeley (which cites MEF) https://www.meforum.org/61122/lamborn-asks-doe-to-investigate-uc-berkeley
In this same vein: 6/17 - "Social Media Campaign Targeting Jew-Hating Professors Reaches 121,000 Across Four Universities [incl. Jasbir Puar, Joel Beinin, Yến Lê Espiritu]” [brought to you by the Orwellian-named David Horowitz Freedom Center] https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/61119/social-media-campaign-targeting-jew-hating
And in the same vein, also from the Middle East Forum: 6/11: The black box: How Arizona’s response to a congressional letter is proof of the problem https://www.jns.org/opinion/the-black-box-how-arizonas-response-to-a-congressional-letter-is-proof-of-the-problem/
7/2/20 - Another member of Congress is asking Dept of Ed to investigate US Univ (this time it’s Yale) over alleged violations of Title VI related to criticism/activism challenging Israeli policies https://www.docdroid.net/h897gW0/desjarlais-letter-title-vi-devos-pdf
Post breaking the story at Middle East Forum — which appears to be playing a key role in many of these complaints: Congressman DesJarlais Requests Department of Education Investigation of Middle East Studies at Yale https://www.meforum.org/61179/desjarlais-request-doe-investigation-of-yale
Reminder - When Trump signed his EO ostensibly about antisemitism, some of us warned real target was campus free speech critical of Israel. Complaints filed so far in wake of EO demonstrate we were right.
I’m tracking/documenting those complaints here:
https://fmep.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/Targeting-US-AcademiaTitle-VI.pdf
I’m tracking/documenting those complaints here:
https://fmep.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/Targeting-US-AcademiaTitle-VI.pdf
