University shakes down Jewish student for handing out pro-Israel book
West Virginia University investigated a Jewish student for distributing a pro-Israel book.
A free speech watchdog organization blasted the university for what it called a 'chilling' probe.
West Virginia University (WVU) placed a no-contact order on a Jewish student after he shared a book defending the state of Israel, a letter from a free speech watchdog reports.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) condemned the university in a June 16 letter, saying its months-long investigation of student Eliyahu Itkowitz violated his First Amendment rights.
According to FIRE’s letter, Itkowitz distributed copies of Alan Dershowitz’s The Ten Big Anti-Israel Lies as part of a community service project last year.
On Dec. 13, a Muslim dining hall employee named Hannah Harper reported the book to the university and campus police—calling it “anti-Muslim,” FIRE’s letter asserts.
[RELATED: Jewish students sue GWU over alleged failure to address campus anti-Semitism]
Harper later accused Itkowitz of entering the dining hall without permission and making offensive remarks. However, FIRE noted that Itkowitz was not banned from the facility, and no other witnesses corroborated Harper’s claims.
FIRE’s letter suggested that even if they proved true, the allegations would not meet the legal threshold for harassment.
WVU notified Itkowitz on Jan. 27 of allegations against him based on “religious discrimination and harassment causing a hostile environment.” The university eventually dropped the case and chose not to pursue further action.
Yet, FIRE argued that the process itself was “chilling” and unnecessary.
Itkowitz believes the campus hostility against him sparked much earlier, saying that tensions started in October after he confronted students holding anti-Israel signs.
“On my way out, I got confronted by the president of the MSA [Muslim Student Association],” he recounted to Straight Arrow News.
Straight Arrow News reported that the MSA posted an alert on Instagram warning Muslim students to avoid Itkowitz and report him to campus police if he made them uncomfortable.
The letter then highlighted a prior case in which WVU conducted a ten-month investigation into a Jewish student who opposed pro-Palestinian protests. That student ultimately left campus, and the MSA celebrated the student’s departure on social media.
FIRE Program Counsel for Campus Rights Advocacy Jessie Appleby told Campus Reform that complaints and investigations such as this actively hamper free speech, because “investigation carries with it an implicit threat of discipline,” and even when the investigation ultimately ends in favor of the accused, the threat is enough.
FIRE requested a response from the university by June 30.
Campus Reform reached out to the president’s office at West Virginia University for comment but has not heard back by publication. This article will be updated accordingly.
