The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced a resolution agreement with the University of Michigan to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when addressing allegations of discrimination or harassment, including those based on shared Jewish ancestry and shared Palestinian or Muslim ancestry.
OCR's review of 75 reports from the 2022-23 school year through February 2024 found no evidence that the university met its Title VI requirements to assess whether incidents created a hostile environment for students, faculty, or staff. For example, in October 2023, protestors on campus shouted about “Nazi liberation,” but university records show only that these reports were forwarded to public affairs without further action.
In another instance from October 2023, a Jewish student reported being harassed on social media by a graduate student instructor. The university responded that “formal conflict resolution is not a path forward at this time” and referred the student to informal resolution pathways.
Similarly, in November 2023, after a student was accused of having “terrorist” friends due to her participation in a pro-Palestinian protest, the university held “restorative circles” but took no further steps.
Concerns were also raised about unclear policies leaving students, faculty, and staff uncertain about how discrimination allegations would be handled. Additionally, although responsible for ensuring compliance with federal antidiscrimination laws, the university’s Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX office (ECRT) did not evaluate all reports of Title VI discrimination.
The university has committed to several measures to address OCR's concerns:
1. Reviewing case files from the 2023-24 school year to determine if conduct created a hostile environment and if further action is needed.
2. Reporting responses to discrimination reports during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.
3. Revising policies and procedures as necessary.
4. Ensuring ECRT coordinates compliance with Title VI.
5. Training employees on obligations under Title VI.
6. Administering climate assessments for students and employees regarding discrimination experiences and knowledge of reporting procedures.
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon stated: “The University of Michigan’s comprehensive commitments today put the university on a path for the coming school year and beyond to ensure that all its students may study without antisemitic discrimination or discrimination based on the region of the world they and their families come from.”
Title VI protects against national origin discrimination extending to those experiencing harassment based on actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics such as Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, Arab descent among others.
The resolution letter and agreement are available on OCR's website.
