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UMass Amherst under federal investigation for discrimination amid Israel-Palestine unrest

A complaint alleging antisemitism was filed in February. Another accusing the school of allowing anti-Palestinian harassment was filed last week.

By Ross Cristantiello

April 25, 2024

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A growing number of colleges around the country are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for discrimination, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst is among the latest to be added to that list. 

Many of these investigations are tied to allegations of antisemitism and anti-Palestinian actions in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. College campuses have been bursting with tension since the war broke out on Oct. 7. This week, students from Boston to California erected encampments to protest the Israeli military’s conduct in Gaza, where more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and the risk of famine is “very high.” About 1,200 people were killed in the initial Hamas attack, and more than 100 Israelis remain hostages. 

Some of the students also called for their colleges to break purported ties with the Israeli military. Hundreds have been arrested in recent days. 

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights keeps a running list of institutions that are currently under investigation for discrimination “involving shared ancestry.” These institutions can be public or private colleges, as well as school districts. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in educational institutions that receive federal funding. 

The list, which includes 137 open investigations, is updated weekly. It is unclear how many investigations are directly tied to the war in Gaza, but 93 were opened after Oct. 7. 

There are two open investigations into UMass Amherst. One was opened on Feb. 26, the other on April 16. The first investigation alleges the university discriminated against students based on their shared Jewish ancestry “when it failed to respond appropriately to incidents of harassment during October and November 2023.” The second one alleges UMass is allowing a “hostile anti-Palestinian environment” on campus, a spokesperson said in a statement to Boston.com Thursday.

The first complaint was filed by the editor of Campus Reform, a conservative news organization, according to a report from that outlet. It asserts UMass officials did not take “concrete steps” to combat anti-Jewish hate after two incidents in the fall. One of those incidents reportedly involved a former reporter for Campus Reform. 

UMass officials have not seen that complaint, but are aware of the Campus Reform report, the spokesperson said.

The most recent complaint was filed by Palestine Legal, an advocacy group based in New York City, on behalf of a group of UMass students. They have been the target of “extreme anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab harassment” by other students, the group said. One student was allegedly physically assaulted, while others were subject to racial slurs and death threats, according to the complaint. 

“Students have the right to speak out against the genocide of Palestinians, without fear of harassment or being denied access to an education by their university,” Radhika Sainath, a senior staff attorney for Palestine Legal said in a statement. 

In October, dozens of pro-Palestinian students were arrested after participating in a sit-in outside of the chancellor’s office. Some lost their eligibility to study abroad as a result.

The UMass spokesperson said that the university does not tolerate discrimination and has condemned “hatred in all forms.” UMass officials are pledging to fully cooperate with federal investigators as they look into these complaints.

“Antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any form of bigotry have no place in our community, and we are committed to ensuring that our community’s engagement with opposing viewpoints is maintained in a respectful manner,” the university said in a statement.

Sainath told The Boston Globe this week that the complaint was filed on behalf of more than 18 UMass students. 

“The way UMass has treated us shows a bias, and we think it’s important for that to be exposed,” Maysoun Batley, a senior at UMass Amherst involved in the complaint, told the Globe.