Four medical schools are under investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights for alleged antisemitic incidents during their 2024 commencement ceremonies. While HHS hasn't publicly named the schools, the Wall Street Journal has identified them as Harvard, Columbia, Brown, and Johns Hopkins. These investigations follow a year marked by a surge in alleged antisemitic incidents on college campuses across the nation, particularly after the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.
Legal experts and advocacy groups have expressed concerns that anti-Jewish bias in the medical field could pose a threat to Jewish patients. Gerard Filitti, Senior Counsel at The Lawfare Project, which offers pro bono legal services to protect the civil rights of the Jewish community, emphasized the importance of these investigations as a "crucial first step" toward addressing these concerns.
Harvard's 2024 commencement ceremony drew significant criticism for its choice of speaker, Maria Ressa, following a year of reported antisemitic incidents on campus, including an assault on an Israeli student, pro-Hamas chants, and allegations of the university ignoring Jewish students' civil rights complaints. Ressa's commencement address, in which she criticized attacks against her pro-Palestinian advocacy, was interpreted by some as promoting antisemitic tropes. Campus Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi reportedly confronted Ressa during the ceremony and left the stage, later describing the event as "vile."
Harvard Medical School has stated its commitment to fighting discrimination and harassment, and that it is reviewing HHS's request and will cooperate with the investigation. Similar complaints of antisemitism and inadequate responses have been lodged against Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and Brown, reportedly creating such a hostile environment that some Jewish students chose to attend different universities.
The HHS investigations coincide with the Trump administration's Justice Department announcing a task force to combat antisemitism and a recently signed executive order aimed at addressing antisemitism, particularly on college campuses. Some commentators have contrasted the Trump administration's swift action with what they perceive as a lack of action from the previous administration. Beyond potential repercussions related to antisemitism, Trump has also threatened to withhold federal research grants from universities that don't comply with orders against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Critics argue that DEI programs in medical schools have contributed to a rise in antisemitism. The Department of Education has also launched separate civil rights investigations into several other universities.
While Fox News Digital contacted Harvard, Columbia, Brown, and Johns Hopkins for comment, no responses were received by the time of publication.
