Report: CUNY’s Antisemitism, Discrimination Policies Need an Overhaul
Credit: Erik McGregor / LightRocket / Getty Images- The independent 10-month investigation ordered by Gov. Kathy Hochul says that the City University of New York needs to greatly improve how it handles antisemitism and discrimination.
- The report says the system colleges have veered too far toward acting as independent institutions and less as a uniform system, leaving inconsistencies in how antisemitism claims are handled.
- The report recommends creating a center to address antisemitism and discrimination and promote civil discourse and inclusion.
- An overwhelming majority of students do not engage in antisemitic actions on CUNY’s campuses, the report found.
A new report says the City University of New York (CUNY) needs to overhaul and update its policies and procedures to handle antisemitism and discrimination.
On Oct. 31, 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered an independent third-party review by Latham & Watkins LLP of the CUNY system’s policies and procedures related to antisemitism and discrimination. After a 10-month investigation, the firm found that the system needs vast improvement.
“Recent events only highlight the myriad of complex problems that CUNY faces in dealing with antisemitism and discrimination,” said investigator Jonathan Lippman.
“While I recognize that this report will not solve all those issues, it is my sincere hope that this report and the recommendations contained therein will assist CUNY’s leadership in fostering a safe and inclusive environment, free from hate of any kind.”
Following the Oct. 7, 2023, start of the Israel-Hamas war, colleges nationwide have seen an increase in pro-Palestinian encampments calling for schools to divest from companies supporting Israel.
Government leaders have also led hearings about antisemitism on campus. In January, Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Fetterman introduced the bipartisan Protecting Students on Campus Act of 2024 to the U.S. Senate to streamline how students could file antisemitism complaints.
Report’s Findings on Current Policies, Climate at CUNY
CUNY comprises:
- 11 colleges
- Seven community colleges
- Six graduate and professional schools
- One honors college
Lippman reports that chief diversity officers typically handle complaints of antisemitism at that school, which may differ at each institution. CUNY has veered too far away from uniformity, resulting in inconsistency across all CUNY schools in how antisemitic complaints are handled, the report claims.
The firm said the most common problem cited by the over 300 community members it met with was that CUNY’s complaint portal causes more harm than good in some cases.
The last time CUNY’s Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy was updated was in 2015, it established a chief diversity officer at every school students could go to for addressing discrimination and retaliation. It does not mention the complaint portal since that was created in 2023.
The report says this leads to confusion on whether or not students should adhere to recent guidance and submit complaints through the portal or to a chief diversity officer.
While the report says systems in place are outdated and confusing, the firm found that leadership across the central and individual school levels takes antisemitic and discrimination complaints seriously and acts appropriately.
Across the board, the report found more agreement than they thought on adopting a formal definition of antisemitism.
Report Recommends Overhauling Current System
The most prominent findings from the report include:
- Creating a center at CUNY to address antisemitism, discrimination, and hate and promote civil discourse and inclusion
- Overhauling the portal for antisemitism and discrimination complaints. The current portal does not inform the student that the complaint was received or update the student on the case’s progress.
- Creating a victim’s advocate program where advocates confidentially help students through the investigative process and provide resources
- Operating according to how antisemitism is defined by the law
- Training community members to follow the applicable law, even if it goes against personal interpretations of antisemitism
Hochul has been actively combating antisemitism on college campuses.
In December, she sent a warning letter to college and university presidents that she’d withhold federal and state funds for not disciplining students for antisemitism. The letter came after several elite college presidents testified in court about their responses to antisemitism.
“I write to you to ensure that your institution applies the same standard in its code of conduct, and has a clearly defined and well-publicized mechanism for individuals to report complaints,” Hochul wrote.
“As governor of New York, I want to reinforce that colleges and universities not in compliance with federal and state laws protecting students against discrimination can be deemed ineligible to receive state and federal funds.”