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ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University is now among 60 institutions of higher education under federal investigation for its handling of protests over the war in Gaza. A similar investigation at Columbia University led to the Trump administration’s withdrawal of some $400 million in federal funding from that Ivy League university, which was the site of a series of high-profile protests over the war.A statement from the Department of Education Monday states that Cornell and other institutions are under investigation for alleged “antisemitic harassment and discrimination.” The department is investigating the allegations as potential violations of Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act.Title VI protects against discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin in institutions or programs that are the recipients of federal funding. While Title VI does not protect against discrimination on the basis of religion alone, it does offer protections for students who are or appear to be from a country with a dominant religious identity.The statement said the universities received letters warning of “potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities.”Protestors have on occasion occupied buildings and areas across Cornell’s campus, which some Jewish students have alleged prevented them from accessing certain facilities.The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Ithaca Voice.Students and employees received an email Tuesday at noon announcing the formation of a new task force that would determine “how and when Cornell should speak institutionally on matters of politics, ideology, current affairs, and world events.”Last month, the Trump administration announced investigations into five institutions — Columbia among them — “where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported” during student protests over the war in Gaza.The March 10 statement suggests the additional investigations are the result of Friday’s Department of Education missive directing its enforcement personnel to prioritize resolving a “backlog of complaints alleging antisemitic violence and harassment.”Cornell students involved in protests criticizing Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas have voiced concerns that they would be targeted for exercising their first amendment rights. Last fall, Cornell graduate student and organizer Momodou Taal was threatened by disciplinary actions that would have threatened his F-1 visa status.Former Columbia graduate student and protest organizer Mahmoud Khalil was arrested by immigration and customs officials Saturday. His deportation was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on Monday. Khalil is Palestinian but has legal permanent resident status in the U.S.The post Cornell under federal investigation for handling of Gaza war protests appeared first on The Ithaca Voice.First published by The Ithaca Voice.

Daily Archives: March 11, 2025

Cornell under federal investigation for handling of Gaza war protests

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