The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has reached a resolution agreement with the University of Cincinnati to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This action addresses allegations of discrimination or harassment based on shared Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab ancestry.
OCR's investigation found that during the 2023-2024 academic year, the university had received approximately two dozen reports of alleged harassment related to shared Jewish and Palestinian ancestry. The university reportedly misapplied relevant laws when addressing these reports or failed to respond adequately.
An example cited involved a student organization's social media post advertising a "Spooky Zionist"-themed meeting. The university deemed this permissible under its free speech policy but did not evaluate whether steps were needed to prevent a hostile environment as required by Title VI.
Further concerns arose from the university's understanding that it was not obligated to address harassment if certain conditions were met, such as the inability to identify perpetrators by name or if incidents occurred off-campus. This led to cases being closed without action, including one where antisemitic comments were reported at a student senate meeting.
Additional incidents included vandalism targeting a Jewish student and death threats received by a Palestinian student. In both instances, the university's response was deemed insufficient in addressing potential hostile environments.
To address these issues, the University of Cincinnati has committed to several actions:
- Reviewing past reports of discrimination based on shared ancestry from recent school years.
- Reporting future responses to OCR.
- Revising policies and procedures related to Title VI compliance.
- Notifying the community about reporting procedures for harassment allegations.
- Training employees on their obligations under Title VI.
- Conducting climate assessments for students and staff regarding discrimination experiences.
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon stated: "The commitments the University of Cincinnati made today position the university to turn an important corner in effectively protecting civil rights for students who have suffered some egregious harms."
The resolution letter and agreement are available on OCR's website.
