College presidents defend school policies at hearing as lawmakers slam responses to campus anti-Semitism
The presidents of Haverford College, DePaul University, and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) recently testified before Congress in a hearing on alleged mishandling of anti-Semitism on their respective campuses.
The House Committee on Education and Workforce, whose chairman is Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), hosted the hearing on May 7.
The presidents of Haverford College, DePaul University, and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) recently testified before Congress in a hearing on alleged mishandling of anti-Semitism on their respective campuses.
The House Committee on Education and Workforce, whose chairman is Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), hosted the hearing on May 7; it was titled, “Beyond the Ivy League: Stopping the Spread of Antisemitism on American Campuses.”
“For the past few years, our Committee has played a critical role in both uncovering the rampant antisemitism on college campuses and holding administrators accountable,” Chairman Walberg said in a statement before the hearing.
Walberg added that the purpose of the hearing was to continue the work to protect Jewish students throughout the country.
[RELATED: Billionaire resigns from Harvard Dean’s Council role after lawsuit alleges ties to Hamas]
Wendy Raymond, Haverford’s president, had a notecard that reminded her, among other things, that “calls for genocide” are “abhorrent” and violate university policy, according to The Washington Free Beacon.
During the hearing, Walberg criticized Haverford, DePaul, and Cal Poly for fostering hostile environments for Jewish students through administrative inaction, faculty misconduct and tolerance of violence and harassment.
Walberg also condemned the universities for prioritizing ideological “dialogue” over student safety, employing anti-Semitic faculty without consequences and capitulating to aggressive protests rather than enforcing discipline or upholding civil rights.
“Haverford employs faculty members who engage in blatant antisemitism with no apparent consequence,” Walberg stated. “For example, one professor declared online that ‘Zionism is Nazism.’”
Prior to the hearing, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) criticized the three schools for failing grades on its anti-Semitism report card, with Cal Poly receiving a “D” grade and Haverford and DePaul both receiving “F’s”.
While some institutions have since implemented new policies, the ADL stressed that most are still falling short and called for stronger enforcement of civil rights protections.
Previously, university administrators such as former Harvard University President Claudine Gay have been slammed for failing to unequivocally condemn calls for genocide against Jews.
“Substantively, I failed to convey what is my truth,” Gay later said in an apology about her testimony.
“We appreciate the thoughtful questions and engagement from Committee members and remain committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all,” a Haverford spokesperson told Campus Reform about the hearing, calling it an “important step in the ongoing dialogue.”
Campus Reform has also contacted California Polytechnic State University and DePaul University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
