Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announced that he actively engaged with U.S. officials to maintain support for the University of Hawai’i amid a federal investigation into the school for potential antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
Green, who is Jewish, contacted senior officials at the White House on March 11 to take “decisive action” to ensure that the university did not face “unwarranted financial penalties.”
“I explained that while there was a little on-campus conflict during the recent war in Gaza, it paled in comparison to what’s gone on at other universities,” he said. “We are not an institution that is antisemitic. We’re giving them a letter to fortify our position, but they assured me the University of Hawai‘i is not on the chopping block for antisemitism.”
The University of Hawai’i is one of 60 universities that were sent notices by the U.S. Department of Education warning that they could face consequences if they fail to meet their obligations under Title VI to protect Jewish students. The governor’s office stated that the university has “fully cooperated” with the investigation but is worried that the Trump administration will use these investigations to pull funding. (The administration recently canceled $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University.)
“I couldn’t stand by and allow a misunderstanding from the government to use civil rights investigations as a tool to undermine our students’ future,” Green said. “The University of Hawai’i is a pillar of opportunity for our local students, and I will always fight to protect access to higher education.”