The Office for Civil Rights, part of the U.S. Department of Education, found that the University of Cincinnati did not sufficiently address antisemitic incidents, and often did not take action on incidents at all, in an investigation of a complaint alleging anti-Jewish discrimination by the university.
Part of the issue is a patchwork of policies and offices that frustrated students trying to get a response to alleged antisemitic incidents.
“University practices did not appear designed to remedy any hostile environment,” said an OCR press release announcing the results of the investigation, as well as a resolution agreement with UC.
“It appears that the university repeatedly misapplied applicable law when responding, or more routinely declining to respond, to reports of shared ancestry harassment it received,” the OCR said.
UC has agreed to revise its approach to incidents of harassment, committed to staff training about addressing discrimination, and will report to the OCR any further responses to incidents of alleged discrimination (including antisemitism).
That’s on top of a new Ohio law that requires universities to clarify how they address incidents of harassment.
The resolution agreement does not mean UC admits any wrongdoing. Asked if the university had any message to send to the Jewish community, a spokesperson referred Cincy Jewfolk to its official statement on the resolution agreement.
“It’s important to note that OCR has not issued any specific findings of non-compliance nor of any wrongdoing on the part of the university,” the statement said.
The university “signed the voluntary resolution agreement in order to proactively enhance ongoing efforts to prevent discrimination and harassment.”
The OCR is responsible for making sure schools and universities don’t discriminate based on race, color, national origin, or shared ancestry, which is prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In the wake of skyrocketing antisemitism post-Oct. 7, 2023, focused around the Israel-Hamas war, roughly 80 Title VI complaints alleging anti-Jewish discrimination have been filed to the OCR.
College campuses have been a particular flashpoint for anti-Israel activism that has flared into outright antisemitism and harassment of Jewish students. UC has been no exception.
“Jewish students at the University of Cincinnati have faced persistent antisemitic harassment and intimidation,” said Rachel Kaplan, executive director of Cincinnati Hillel.
“The recent settlement…is a crucial step forward in addressing these concerns and protecting Jewish students,” she said. “Cincinnati Hillel is working closely with the university to ensure it upholds its commitments to make this campus a welcoming and safe community for all.”
The Jewish Community Relations Council, the public affairs arm of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, “has been aware of many of these incidents and has proactively engaged with UC to express our concerns and advocate for change,” it said in a statement responding to UC’s resolution agreement.
“JCRC remains dedicated to working collaboratively with UC to ensure sustained progress, as no student should ever feel unsafe due to their religious, cultural, or racial identity.”
Incidents and frustration
The OCR report found roughly 24 reports of alleged antisemitic – as well as anti-Palestinian – harassment known to UC administrators across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.
Notably, according to the OCR, the university was not forthcoming about those reports.
“For the 2023-2024 academic year, the University initially represented to OCR that, although it had received reports of ‘allegedly anti-Semitic behavior,’ it had not received any complaints or reports of alleged discrimination or harassment based on national origin, including shared Jewish ancestry,” said the OCR investigation.
But UC administrators reversed course. They gave the OCR a spreadsheet tracking various student complaints of discrimination. Student interactions were listed as “consultations.”
One of those complaints helps spotlight how UC’s patchwork of support offices and administrators frustrated students.
On Oct. 11, 2023, just a few days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of Israelis sparked the Israel-Hamas war, a student reported that someone threw raw eggs at his fraternity house. Earlier, he had put up an Israeli flag from one of the house windows.
The student made a report to the University of Cincinnati Police Department, but little was done.
“The UCPD report showed that the…responding officer told the Student Witness that UCPD was doing extra patrols in the area, and that officers took photos, but there was no record of additional investigation or responsive steps by the University, including no referral to any other University entity,” the OCR investigation said.
Later in the fall, the student came back to his fraternity house and found feces smeared on the floor, on a basketball hoop outside, and on a package. He called UCPD, which did not investigate and told the student they couldn’t do anything because the incident was off campus.
In an interview with the OCR, the student “stated that months later UCPD invited him to have conversations with their Community Engagement Team, who admitted fault for not investigating the feces incident, saying it was a customer service failure.”
The university’s Office of Equal Opportunity & Access (now the Office of Equal Opportunity) emailed the student, but the student didn’t reply, and no follow up was taken.
The student told the OCR that he didn’t reply because he already reported the incidents to other administrators and offices, but mostly heard back “thoughts and prayers” instead of any substantial response. Other emails sent by administrators also went ignored.
The student “recalled telling the Interim VP of Student Affairs that things were happening every day and he could not keep making reports because he was a student who was supposed to be focused on studying and not on reporting incidents to the University,” the OCR investigation said.
Another complaint showed how UC administrators often took no response to complaints of alleged antisemitism.
When a Jewish law student reported harassment of Jews at a student senate meeting, and that someone from a Muslim law students group had called her a “dirty Jew,” the Office of Equal Opportunity & Access met with the student. The complaint was closed without any action.
“The notice stated that, as part of a public institution, OEOA was limited in ‘address[ing] the content of statements made except under narrow circumstances…and the law student ‘had not identified any specific action’ that would amount to a violation of the University’s non-discrimination policies,” the OCR found.
Lack of response to these incidents are part of the reason many Jews don’t trust university offices focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Across the country, Jewish communities have felt administrators are unresponsive or unhelpful when it comes to reports of antisemitism.
UC maintains that it “did not fail to address” reports of alleged antisemitic incidents.
“It’s our job to respond in good faith when allegations of harassment arise, and we have done so,” said Bleuzette Marshall, vice president for equity, inclusion and community impact, in UC’s statement.
“However, there is always room for improvement to ensure that all members of our community feel safe and supported in seeking access and opportunity.”
