Penn receives letter from Department of Education condemning antisemitism on campuses nationwide

Penn administrators received a letter Friday morning from United States Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona condemning "abhorrent" incidents of antisemitism on university campuses nationwide.

A University spokesperson confirmed Interim Penn President Larry Jameson received Cardona's letter, which was sent to several university presidents on May 3. In the letter, Cardona describes a "sharp rise in antisemitism" over the past few days, and highlights resources for protecting safety and inclusion on college campuses.

While not directly mentioned in the letter, Cardona's timing coincides with the ongoing pro-Palestinian encampment that has been set up in front of College Hall since April 25.

The University spokesperson declined to comment further on the letter.

"What we are witnessing every day on college campuses is deeply concerning, as we hear increasing reports of students feeling unsafe," Cardona wrote in the letter. "Students should be able to learn, attend class, and go to  commencements without fear or disruption of their educational experience. There is no place for violence on campus ever."

In the letter, Cardona highlights four types of antisemitism that Jewish students have reported in recent days. They include physical assaults and harassment while walking on campus and subjection to "virulently antisemitic statements," including that Jewish students should "go back to Poland." He also wrote that students have been subjected to verbal abuse and have come back to their dorm rooms to find swastikas on their doors. 

The Daily Pennsylvanian could not confirm which, if any such instances, have been reported by Penn students. 

Cardona wrote in the letter that antisemitism is discrimination and prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, emphasizing that the Department of Education "stands against antisemitism." He explained that the Office for Civil Rights has opened more than 100 investigations into antisemitism and other forms of discrimination since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

"People have a right to peacefully protest policies that they disagree with and, of course, to exercise their First Amendment rights," Cardona wrote. "However, environments where students feel unsafe and experience discrimination on college campuses cannot be tolerated."

In the letter, Cardona also highlighted a range of resources designed to support university leadership in combating discrimination. They include a fact sheet on protecting students from discrimination, a list of strategies for creating "safe and inclusive" learning environments during the Israel-Hamas war, and a resource list for combating antisemitism and Islamophobia. Cardona also encouraged university leaders to visit the Department of Education's website on supporting campus safety. 

Cardona vowed to investigate discrimination "aggressively," citing students of all Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, and Arab communities who have expressed feelings of a lack of safety or unfair targeting at school. 

"We will continue to work together with you to ensure safe and inclusive learning environments where all students are free to fully experience the rich communities of learning that institutions of higher education provide," he wrote.