Thursday 25 January 2024

Harvard Faces Threat Of ‘Compulsory Measures’ In House Anti-Semitism Probe

 A top House Republican issued a fresh warning to Harvard University on Tuesday over the Ivy League institution’s level of cooperation with an investigation into anti-Semitism on campuses.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chairwoman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, released a statement that said an “initial review” showed Harvard’s production of documents to her panel so far “is woefully inadequate.”

She added, “Rather than answering the Committee’s request in a substantive manner, Harvard has chosen to provide letters from nonprofits and student handbooks, many of which are already publicly available. This is unacceptable.”

Foxx indicated that subpoenas could follow if Harvard does not satisfy her committee’s demands. “Harvard must produce the remaining documents in a timely manner, or risk compulsory measures,” the chairwoman said.

The Daily Wire reached out to Harvard seeking comment on the statement.

Universities are facing intense scrutiny over acts of anti-Semitism reported on campuses around the country as Israel wages war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the group’s deadly terrorist attack on October 7. The Daily Wire reported this week that Harvard’s campus was littered with anti-Semitic graffiti ahead of the new semester.

The congressional investigation into Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) began in December after their respective presidents dodged the question of whether calling for the genocide of Jews on campuses violated their schools’ policies on bullying and harassment. The GOP-led House has also passed a resolution condemning their testimonies.

During a hearing, Harvard President Claudine Gay told lawmakers that “context” dictated whether calling for the genocide of Jews on campuses violated her school’s policies on bullying and harassment. Gay has since stepped down, but not before the Education and the Workforce Committee expanded its probe into Harvard with a new line of inquiry regarding plagiarism allegations levied at Gay dating back to the 1990s when she was a student.

 

The anti-Semitism investigation into the universities, as described by Foxx, is looking into “the learning environments at Harvard, UPenn, and MIT and their policies and disciplinary procedures.” Foxx sent a letter on Wednesday to UPenn officials demanding a bevy of documents on the school’s response to anti-Semitic incidents by February 7.

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