U.S. Department of Education Resolves Complaint Against Brown University for Alleged Antisemitic Discrimination

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced today that Brown University in Rhode Island has reached a resolution agreement to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 regarding alleged harassment of students based on national origin, including shared Jewish, Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim ancestry. This follows a complaint filed against the university in December 2023 for alleged Title VI violations.

Following OCR’s investigation, Brown University implemented proactive measures to foster a nondiscriminatory campus environment. These measures included updating relevant policies and procedures in February 2024, providing Title VI training on shared ancestry discrimination in January 2024, and conducting workshops on combating anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hate in February and March 2024. However, compliance concerns were identified regarding the university’s response to allegations of shared ancestry discrimination that could create a hostile environment for students.

Today, OCR announced that Brown University has signed a resolution agreement to ensure compliance with Title VI’s non-discrimination requirements based on shared ancestry.

From October 2023 to late March 2024, the university received approximately 75 reports of alleged anti-Semitic, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim harassment. However, the university’s response seemed limited to acknowledging the reports, listing support resources, and seeking meetings with complainants in line with existing policies. Some reports included serious incidents, such as students taunting a Jewish classmate over religious symbols and blocking a Jewish classmate from attending a rally.

Furthermore, OCR’s investigation suggested that the university may have tied responses to harassment based on a complainant’s interaction with outreach emails, which goes against applicable law. The variations in responses among university entities led to inconsistencies in addressing student and staff concerns.

During the investigation, Brown University revamped its practices to address a campus environment described as tense and fear-ridden. The university’s priorities now focus on safeguarding community safety, fostering inclusive environments, providing support to affected members, and zero tolerance toward discrimination and harassment based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.

To ensure Title VI compliance in preventing discrimination based on shared ancestry, Brown University agreed to revise its policies for all university offices’ consistency with Title VI, conduct annual training on nondiscrimination and harassment, maintain records of discrimination complaints, review responses to complaints of shared ancestry discrimination, and analyze climate survey results related to shared ancestry discrimination.

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon praised Brown University for undertaking reforms to comply with Title VI independently and in response to OCR’s investigation. Lhamon expressed optimism about working collaboratively with the university to create an inclusive learning environment for students of diverse backgrounds, including Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, and Palestinian students.

The letter to Brown University and the resolution agreement can be accessed on the OCR website.