The U.S. Department of Education announced on Dec. 20 that the University of Cincinnati had agreed to resolve a complaint that the school had failed to follow its obligations under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
An investigation by the department’s Office for Civil Rights reviewed approximately two dozen reports and found that the public research university did not properly respond to alleged harassment based on shared Jewish ancestry, as well as Palestinian ancestry, during the 2023-24 academic year.
“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 Education Department stated.
One example reviewed included a registered student organization’s social media advertisement of a “Spooky Zionist”-themed meeting. The university chose not to take action on the grounds of a free speech policy.
“While the university may not discipline speakers for protected speech, Title VI requires that recipients take other steps as necessary to ensure that no hostile environment based on shared ancestry persists,” the department stated.
The review also found that the university received multiple vandalism reports targeted at a Jewish student, who told authorities that his door had been “defaced because of his Jewish faith and identity”; his home egged; and feces smeared around the home.
University records showed that no further assessment was made of whether a hostile environment existed for the student or any other student affected.
Other incidents reviewed included antisemitic comments at a student senate meeting and death threats against a Palestinian student, neither of which received responsive or investigative action from the university.
The Education Department said its investigation “raised concerns that university practices did not appear designed to remedy any hostile environment resulting from shared ancestry-based harassment.”
To resolve the complaint, the University of Cincinnati agreed to review all discrimination reports from the past two school years and submit new incidents to the Education Department for the next two years. The school will also provide staff training and conduct a climate assessment to determine the extent of campus hate.
“The commitments the University of Cincinnati made today position the university to turn an important corner in effectively protecting civil rights for students who have suffered some egregious harms,” said Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights for the Department of Education.
