President Biden’s Education Secretary Miguel Cardona fired off a letter Friday to college and university leaders slamming “abhorrent” acts of antisemitism taking place on campuses across the country.
“I am particularly disturbed by the sharp rise in antisemitism targeting Jewish students on some college campuses,” wrote the 48-year-old Cardona in the letter obtained by The Post and first reported by CNN.
“In recent days, Jewish students have reported: Being physically assaulted or harassed while walking on campus, simply for being Jewish; Being subjected to virulently antisemitic statements, such as that Jewish students should ‘go back to Poland‘; Being subjected to verbal abuse, such as while praying for the safety of hostages being held by Hamas; and [c]oming back to their dorm rooms to find swastikas on their doors.
“These and other such incidents are abhorrent, period,” Cardona went on. “They have no place on our college campuses. Antisemitism is discrimination and is prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. And we stand against antisemitism. We also stand against other forms of hate. Many Jewish students are experiencing fear right now, worried about being targeted for who they are, and it is critical that university campuses be free of such fear.”
Cardona’s letter came one day after Biden addressed the nation about the ongoing pro-terror protests after 10 days of silence.
In remarks lasting three and a half minutes, the president said “order must prevail,” but stopped short of demanding the clear-out of violent anti-Jew demonstrators or calling for the National Guard to be sent in.
“What we are witnessing every day on college campuses is deeply concerning, as we hear increasing reports of students feeling unsafe,” Cardona wrote. “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.”
Cardona outlined that the Biden administration has been in touch with “community leaders, students, and educators” since the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and said he remains “incredibly concerned about antisemitic hate directed at students on some campuses.”
He concluded by offering the universities guidance from the Department of Education on how to handle anti-Jew hatred on their campuses.
Students have been occupying university property for more than two weeks in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which will reach the seven-month mark next week.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the pro-terror protests at colleges across the US:
- Tear gas sprayed at UCLA encampment as cops face off with anti-Israel protesters wielding fire extinguishers
- Stanford submits ‘deeply disturbing’ photo of campus anti-Israel protester wearing Hamas headband to FBI
- Iranian college offers free tuition to US students expelled for participating in anti-Israel protests: ‘Our people’
- MAP: US colleges where students have been arrested over anti-Israel protests
- Not affiliated with school: 13
- Students at affiliated institutions: 6
- Undergrad students: 14
- Grad students: 9
- Columbia employees: 2
At Columba University — where the protests first broke out April 17 — students have occupied the central lawn on campus and broke into the Hamilton Hall building earlier this week. University president Minouche Shafik called in the NYPD to break up the protests Tuesday night and 109 students were arrested.
Other campuses across the country have seen similar chaos, including NYU, City College of New York, UCLA and the University of Texas at Austin.
“It is against the law when violence occurs,” Biden said Thurdsay. “Destroying property is not a peaceful protest, it’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduations, none of this is a peaceful protest.
“Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not peaceful protest, it is against the law.”
