Given the inability to provide a secure learning environment for Jewish students at certain universities across the United States, particularly in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, the Secure Community Network has put out a 10-point plan to counter hate on campus.
Michael Masters, national director and CEO of SCN, said on Thursday that “in the wake of Oct. 7, college campuses across the country failed to provide their Jewish students with a safe place to learn and study.”
He said that “as campuses prepare to welcome students back to campus this year, there must be a plan, and it must be enforced. Every campus must adopt these critical steps to ensure the safety and security of its Jewish students and to prevent the chaos that unfolded in the spring.”
Items in the plan came from a roundtable discussion SCN convened with the Major Cities Chiefs Association, an organization of police executives representing the largest cities in the United States and Canada, tasked with examining events and threats.
Recommendations include anticipating upcoming pro-Hamas protests; recognizing the likelihood of targeted intimidation against Jewish students; developing plans to secure students during building takeovers or encampments; and properly communicating policies.
Other proposed steps the SCN also suggested were creating emergency protocols for when to request a police presence; discerning when protests breached First Amendment protections; understanding campus security’s abilities to manage demonstrations that become violent; recognizing the importance of administrative leadership; prosecuting protesters when necessary; and recognizing the importance of administrators’ statements following incidents.
