The University of Oregon, a public research school in the city of Eugene, is reviewing police body-cam footage to determine if any students violated any law or university policy during an April 22 protest against guest speaker Noa Cochva.
Angela Seydel, the university’s director of issues management, told JNS that after receiving reports of “hostile or threatening language” directed at attendees of an event sponsored by the Oregon Hillel in partnership with StandWithUs and Ducks4Israel, university officials are “reviewing available information, including police body-worn camera footage, to determine whether any conduct violated university policy or applicable law.”
“We will not characterize conduct before the review is complete, but we will act on its findings,” Seydel said. “Anyone found responsible will be referred through the appropriate disciplinary processes.”
She told JNS that had Cochva—"Miss Israel” 2021, who served as a combat medic in the Israel Defense Forces—decided to appear instead of canceling, which she did due to safety concerns after recent protests against her escalated to violence and arrests, the university was prepared with a security perimeter and campus police staffing.
Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Oregon, the group that organized the protest, is not a recognized student organization, according to Seydel.
“We support the right to protest, and protest has been a part of this campus for decades,” she said. “What we don’t accept is conduct that targets people, including Jewish students, with harassment, intimidation or threats. That’s not protest. That’s a violation of our policies and our values.”
The protest occurred just weeks after the Oregon Hillel had a lockdown due to credible threats. Seydel said that the UO Police Department “acted swiftly and in close partnership” with the Hillel to resolve the threat.
She pointed to “concrete steps” at UO to address Jewish safety concerns, including student focus groups, participating in Hillel education sessions, and reviewing institutional practices and reporting-and-response processes.
That said, the Anti-Defamation League gave the University of Oregon a “D” on its 2025 Campus Antisemitism Report Card.
Seydel also mentioned that the university is “evaluating expanded kosher-dining options.”
“Jewish students belong here and deserve to feel that fully,” she told JNS.
