Nadine Osman
Columbia University in New York City and Emory College in Atlanta became the first universities in the US to undergo federal investigations for alleged anti-Muslim discrimination on their campuses.
Last month, the US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights notified CAIR-GA and Palestine Legal of the investigation launch against Emory.
The OCR committed to thoroughly investigating reports of anti-Muslim discrimination made by Emory University students under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in institutions receiving federal funds.
In partnership with Emory University students, CAIR-GA and Palestine Legal put together an 18-page dossier. Filed on April 5, it details instances of on-campus harassment, doxing, and unequal treatment faced by Muslim students and Palestine advocates since the previous October.
“The students filed 15 cases through the Emory University system, but nothing was done to address their issues and fears. Some students were too afraid to leave their college dorms,” said CAIR’s Executive Director, Azka Mahmood.
The Department of Education announced on May 2 that it would investigate Columbia University for alleged discrimination against Palestinians.
This decision followed the arrest of numerous students by NYPD riot officers during protests regarding the university’s financial ties to companies associated with Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
“The law is clear: if universities do not cease their racist crackdowns against Palestinians and their supporters, they will be at risk of losing federal funding,” said Radhika Sainath, a senior staff attorney at Palestine Legal, which had filed a complaint with the federal agency.
In January, several human rights associations, including CAIR, wrote a letter to Emory, asking the university to address students’ concerns.
“Emory University rejected all complaints and dismissed them, essentially saying ‘there is no problem here’,” said Mahmood.
The investigation has commenced amidst unprecedented student protests on US campuses, driven by opposition to Israel’s ongoing violent siege of Gaza.
In the past few weeks, more than 90 Gaza solidarity encampments have appeared at universities throughout the US. She hopes the investigation will prompt Emory to take corrective action, resulting in an improved environment for students.
Since mid-April, around 2,000 individuals have been arrested nationwide. This uptick in activism started when Columbia students launched a Gaza solidarity camp, sparking a series of similar protests at educational institutions across the country. Protesters have encountered harsh repression, including police violence, arrests, suspensions, and even permanent expulsion.
Emory students were reportedly among the first victims of tear gas incidents by law enforcement. Columbia has faced particularly severe measures, with dramatic images showing law enforcement forcefully entering parts of the campus and dismantling encampments.
The document is one of at least six Title VI claims filed in recent weeks concerning anti-Muslim treatment on US campuses. Similar claims are made by students at Rutgers, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Emory’s case may potentially lead to multiple investigations at other US campuses.
Photo: New York Police Department officers detain pro-Palestinian student demonstrators in Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall on April 30.
(Credit: Selçuk Acar/AA)
