The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that Drexel University in Pennsylvania has entered into a resolution agreement to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) when responding to allegations of discrimination or harassment based on national origin, including shared Jewish ancestry.
While OCR confirmed that the specific incident prompting the complaint did not involve antisemitic conduct and that the university’s response did not raise Title VI concerns, it found that Drexel University generally failed to assess whether incidents of shared ancestry discrimination and harassment created a hostile environment. When such assessments were conducted, the legal standard was misapplied.
The investigation was prompted by an October 2023 complaint suggesting that a fire on the dormitory door of a suite where a Jewish student lived was motivated by antisemitism. OCR confirmed that contrary to news reports, the incident did not involve antisemitic discrimination and found no evidence raising Title VI concerns regarding the university’s response.
Despite proactive steps taken by Drexel University, including issuing public statements condemning antisemitism, offering support and resources to students, and increasing security patrols focusing on Jewish-affiliated organizations, OCR reviewed documentation of 35 other incidents from October 2022 to January 2024. This review demonstrated growing evidence of a hostile environment over 18 months.
Examples included graffiti saying “F— the Jews” with a swastika in a women’s bathroom in October 2023; several student reports of mezuzot being removed from dormitory doors in November 2023; repeated social media threats; and vandalism at the university’s Center for Jewish Life in April 2024. The university addressed each incident individually but did not consider broader responsive actions for the community.
The university also failed to consistently assess whether reported conduct created a hostile environment. For instance, when a student reported discriminatory jokes about people who wear hijabs and Ashkenazi Jews, the university only offered supportive resources without assessing if it contributed to a hostile environment.
Furthermore, when considering whether there was a hostile environment, Drexel misapplied legal standards. In one case, it did not recognize that harassing conduct need not always be targeted at an individual to create such an environment. In another instance, it failed to consider if off-campus social media remarks contributed to hostility within the university.
To address these concerns, Drexel University agreed to:
- Review its response to complaints during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years and take remedial actions if required.
- Provide OCR with information regarding complaints alleging discrimination during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.
- Analyze climate survey results and create an action plan subject to OCR approval.
- Revise policies to ensure assessment of whether incidents have created a hostile environment.
- Continue training employees responsible for investigating complaints based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.
- Conduct annual training on discrimination based on race, color, national origin, including harassment based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics for all faculty, staff, and students.
“The commitments Drexel has made today are designed to ensure its full compliance with Title VI," said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. "OCR will work with Drexel in the coming years to ensure its full satisfaction of its federal civil rights obligation."
The resolution letter and agreement are available on the Office for Civil Rights website.
