Lafayette College Accused of Antisemitic Discrimination Resolved by U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has made an announcement that Lafayette College (College) has reached a resolution agreement to ensure its adherence to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) in addressing claims of discrimination or harassment linked to common ancestry, including shared Jewish ancestry.

Following an investigation, OCR found that the College’s handling of a protest on October 25, 2023, and responses to reports of antisemitic and anti-Arab discrimination during the fall of 2023 and more recent incidents were inadequate. Despite the College taking proactive measures to prevent a hostile environment in fall 2023, it failed to apply the legal standard correctly, especially regarding social media harassment. The College did not sufficiently fulfill its duty to assess and address any hostile environment on its campus. Inconsistencies were noted in the College’s responses based on the location of the conduct, such as treating on-campus incidents differently from off-campus ones. While the College addressed a student protester carrying a controversial sign during a campus protest, it neglected reports of similar content on social media that students claimed created a hostile environment.

The College’s responses did not effectively tackle any hostile environment issues. Allegations of harassment on social media were often overlooked unless perceived as a direct threat, overlooking the Title VI obligation to address a hostile environment beyond physical campus borders.

To address the identified concerns, Lafayette College agreed to:

“Lafayette College is committed to safeguarding its students from antisemitic or anti-Arab hostile environments and ensuring equal access to education as mandated by law,” stated Assistant Secretary for the Office for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. “Today’s commitments enhance existing practices at the College to combat discrimination and align its responses with Title VI requirements.”