The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced a resolution agreement with Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. This agreement aims to ensure the university complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when addressing allegations of harassment based on shared ancestry.
OCR's investigation found that while Johns Hopkins University has taken significant steps to meet its Title VI obligations, there were concerns regarding how the university handled complaints related to shared ancestry harassment. From October 2023 through May 2024, the university received 99 such complaints, but records did not consistently show whether these incidents were assessed as creating a hostile environment for students.
Specific incidents highlighted included reports of professors using stereotyped slurs against Arab and Palestinian individuals and Jewish students facing derogatory stereotypes. For example, one professor reportedly told students, “Those brutal Arabs will, God willing, pay a price like never before.” In another instance, a student was asked to remove his keffiyeh on campus because it might be seen as a "political statement."
There were also reports involving Jewish community members being subjected to offensive characterizations and comments about their appearance. The OCR noted inconsistencies in how the university applied legal standards in determining whether these incidents contributed to a hostile environment.
To address these issues, Johns Hopkins University has agreed to several measures:
- Annual training for employees and staff responsible for investigating discrimination complaints.
- Training for all staff and students on discrimination based on race, color, national origin, and shared ancestry.
- Conducting a climate assessment for students and staff regarding shared ancestry.
- Reviewing responses to each report of discrimination or harassment from October 7, 2023, through the end of the school year.
- Providing OCR with responses to all complaints for the 2024-2025 school year.
"Johns Hopkins has agreed to take important steps necessary to ensure it adequately addresses discrimination reported to it on the basis of shared ancestry and that all its students are able to learn in an environment free of harassment," said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon.
Further details can be found in the resolution letter and agreement available on the Office for Civil Rights website.
