Harvard, MIT, Penn presidents defend actions in combatting antisemitism on campus
WASHINGTON — The presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said Tuesday they are taking steps to combat anti-Semitism on campus since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, including increasing security and providing additional guidance and mental health care.
In testimony before a House of Representatives committee, university leaders said there is a fine line between protecting free speech and allowing protests, while also combating anti-Semitism.
“Harvard must provide strong leadership in the fight against anti-Semitism and hate speech, even while allowing room for free speech and dissent. This is difficult work, and I admit we haven't always done it well,” said Claudine Gay of Harvard. “As president of Harvard, I am personally responsible for confronting anti-Semitism with the urgency it demands.”
Gay, Liz Magill of Penn and Sally Kornbluth of MIT disavowed anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on their campuses, acknowledging that examples of both had occurred since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
In recent weeks, the federal government has opened investigations at several universities — including Penn and Harvard — into anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on campus. The Department for Education has also sent letters to schools reminding them of their legal duty to stop harassment that hinders students' learning.
All three presidents defended their universities' response to the incidents.
“As president, I am committed to providing a safe, secure and supportive educational environment so that our academic mission can flourish,” Magill said in her opening statement. “As a student of constitutional democracy, I know that we need both security and free speech for universities and ultimately democracy to flourish. In these times it can be difficult to balance these competing principles, but I am determined to get it right.”
During Tuesday's hearing before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Republicans questioned colleges' performance in combating anti-Semitism, as well as their work on issues under the umbrella of diversity, equity and inclusion.
“For years, universities have fanned the flames of an ideology that goes by many names — anti-racism, anti-colonialism, critical race theory, DEI, intersectionality, and so on,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, the committee. chairman, said. “And now it is clear that Jews are at the bottom of the totem pole and have no protection under this critical theory framework.”
But Democrats noted that Republicans have tried to make cuts to the Department of Education, and in particular the Office of Civil Rights, which investigates issues such as anti-Semitism and discrimination on campuses.
Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the committee's top Democrat, criticized Republicans for “fomenting culture wars” while claiming to fight discrimination on campus.
“You can't have it both ways,” Scott said. “You can't call for action and then obstruct the agency charged with taking that action to protect students' civil rights.”
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