Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has released an investigative update highlighting significant shortcomings in Harvard University's response to antisemitic incidents on its campus. The investigation reveals that despite receiving substantial recommendations from Harvard’s Antisemitism Advisory Group (AAG), the university leadership failed to publicize or implement these suggestions.
The update discloses the AAG’s recommendations and presents additional findings, including a recognition of antisemitic harassment as a prevalent issue at Harvard. It also reports that a majority of the AAG members considered resigning due to concerns about Harvard's insufficient actions against antisemitism. These findings are based on documents provided to the Committee following its February 16 subpoena and a March 18 interview with AAG Member Dr. Dara Horn.
“The Committee’s report proves that former President Gay and Harvard’s leadership propped up the university’s Antisemitism Advisory Group all for show,” stated Chairwoman Foxx. “Not only did the AAG find that antisemitism was a major issue on campus, it offered several recommendations on how to combat the problem—none of which were ever implemented with any real vigor."
The investigative update includes several key findings:
In December 2023, Harvard’s AAG presented significant recommendations to address antisemitism at the University, including having “zero tolerance” for classroom disruptions, protecting shared learning environments, holding student organizations accountable for adhering to University rules, countering antisemitic speech, reviewing classes and programs with antisemitic content, addressing inadequacies in Harvard’s Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (OEDIB) in combating antisemitism, increasing intellectual diversity, and investigating potential influence from "dark money" sources.
The AAG identified pervasive ostracization of Israeli students at Harvard.
Harvard leaders failed to consult with the AAG before President Gay's congressional testimony on antisemitism.
The AAG members highlighted numerous issues for action to Harvard’s leaders, including the need to share more information on disciplinary outcomes publicly, condemn antisemitic rhetoric as antithetical to Harvard’s values, address the inadequacy of Harvard’s response to reports of antisemitic incidents, examine potential influence from terror financiers at Harvard, and address masked protest on campus.
The Committee continues to receive documents from Harvard in its ongoing investigation.
