Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, is demanding answers from San José State University after reports of threatening antisemitic graffiti last week left Jewish students fearing for their safety.
In a March 19 letter to Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of the university, Cassidy cited “alarming antisemitic graffiti” discovered on campus walls last week, including messages such as “Kill All Jews” and “Make Osama Proud,” as well as a reference to a potential terror attack.
University officials said the graffiti was promptly removed and that investigators had found “no evidence has been identified to indicate a credible threat.” Cassidy wrote, however, that the response has not reassured some Jewish students.
According to the letter, some students reportedly avoided a university-offered counseling session as they “feared for their physical safety and did not want to gather in large numbers to become easy targets in the face of a very real threat.”
Philip Heller, president of the university’s Jewish Faculty and Staff Association, said he remains concerned about the potential for escalation. “We have seen physical violence in the past, and my concern is that we’ll see more,” he said.
Cassidy’s letter also pointed to a similar episode last fall involving swastikas and threats of a mass shooting targeting Jewish and other minority students, prompting some classes to shift online.
The senator further cited what he described as a broader rise in antisemitic incidents in the San José area, including a recent assault on two Jewish men for speaking Hebrew.
Cassidy asked the university to provide detailed responses by April 2, including whether suspects have been identified, what disciplinary actions have been taken and what steps are being implemented to address safety concerns among Jewish students and staff.
“It is imperative that university administrators rise to the occasion to take a firm stand against antisemitism and racial violence,” Cassidy wrote.
Cassidy, alongside Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), is currently championing the Protecting Students on Campus Act, legislation aimed at strengthening federal oversight of campus safety and civil-rights protections.
