The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has responded to a complaint by Campus Reform Editor-in-Chief Zachary Marschall by opening an investigation into alleged antisemitism on the Northwestern University campus.
The complaint, which Campus Reform posted on X, formerly Twitter, alleges Northwestern did not adequately respond to incidents of harassment against Jewish students following protests that occurred in October, November and December 2023. Marschall told the school paper he "submitted the complaint as a journalist deeply concerned about the campus environment for Jewish students."
Campus Reform calls itself a conservative watchdog of higher education.
Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and subsequent Israel Defense Forces response, Northwestern University Students for Justice in Palestine hosted multiple events which resulted in Jewish students at Northwestern feeling "increasingly unwelcome," according to the complaint.
Specifics include a vigil of 100 students at the Deering Library on campus where the colors of the Palestinian flag were projected onto the building and an Instagram post from the Northwestern Asian American Studies Program calling Hamas a "political group."
The Campus Reform complaint comes on top of the Alums for Campus Fairness online campaign which aired during the Las Vegas Bowl in December in which Northwestern was playing the University of Utah. In the ad, Northwestern University President Michael Schill is called out over his alleged refusal to publicly denounce antisemitism on campus.
University spokesman Jon Yates released a statement on the campus website confirming the school would cooperate with federal investigators.
"Northwestern is committed to providing a safe, welcoming environment for everyone in our community," Yates wrote in the press release. "Northwestern does not tolerate antisemitism or discriminatory acts directed at any individual based upon their race, religion, national origin or other protected categories."
Accusations of antisemitism continue to plague prestigious universities throughout the United States,with Cornell, Yale and Harvard joining the growing list of colleges who have been accused of turning away from Jewish harassment and intimidation over the past year.