Hillels of Westchester Welcomes Announcement of U.S. Department of Education Investigation of Antisemitism at Sarah Lawrence College
The Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that it will investigate Sarah
Lawrence College for violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
Westchester, NY, January 7, 2025 – Hillels of Westchester welcomes the investigation of antisemitism at Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, announced Tuesday morning. The investigation is in response to a complaint filed by Hillels of Westchester on behalf of Jewish students who identify with Hillel or Israel, based on violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The complaint, filed in March 2024 (with a supplement filed in June 2024), documented a long history of systemic hostility toward these students, who are subjected to discrimination, harassment, and intimidation on the basis of their Jewish ancestry and ethnic identity. The complaint established how SLC administrators and faculty failed to protect or defend these students and, in some cases, were complicit in perpetuating this hostility and discrimination.
Since the complaint was filed, the campus environment has become even more hostile for Jewish students:
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In the Spring 2024 semester, the College presented a “Group Excellence Award” to an SLC registered student group which, just two days after the October 7, 2023 massacre of hundreds of Israelis, openly celebrated the slaughter on social media, featuring a photograph of the Hamas terrorists bulldozing a border fence to launch their assault, and invited fellow students to an event called “Hour of Solidarity with Palestine.” It was painful enough for Jewish students when this invitation was forwarded by SLC’s DEIB Director to Hillel and other Jewish student groups, but the pain was heightened by this Award, which recognized the group as “exemplary,” exhibiting “outstanding student leadership” and working “to enhance the Sarah Lawrence and surrounding communities.”
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In November 2024, anti-Israel student activists took over an administrative building and held a multi-day encampment on campus, demanding that SLC divest its investments tied to Israel. They also distributed materials supporting Hamas and other U.S.-recognized terrorist organizations. Numerous faculty members publicly endorsed these actions, in one case by holding a class in the encampment rather than in the course’s designated classroom. The administration did nothing to support Jewish students who were intimidated and silenced as a result of this hostile environment, and failed to enforce its own code of conduct or hold students and faculty accountable for violating the school’s rules.
“In the face of systemic antisemitism at Sarah Lawrence College, spanning many years, our goal has always been - and remains - a safe, equitable environment for Jewish students,” said Rachel Klein, Executive Director of Hillels of Westchester. “We hope this investigation initiates a meaningful culture shift at SLC to improve the campus environment. We would welcome the opportunity to partner with the SLC administration in creating a safer school for Jewish students, and all Gryphons.”