Brandeis Center calls Title VI settlement with North Carolina State a ‘step forward’ (JNS)

Published by Jewish News Syndicate on 8/2/24

Senior counsel Robin Pick said the university “has the opportunity to be a leader and a model for other universities in the fight against antisemitism.”

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law announced a settlement with the school on Thursday, following an early mediation process through the U.S. Department of Education to address a complaint about campus antisemitism.

The student who filed the complaint reported incidents of harassment the university failed to address, including a tunnel filled with swastikas and someone screaming at her “Death to Jews! Death to Zionists!”

Brandeis reported that the academic institution will implement a non-discrimination policy aligning with the 2019 Executive Order 13899 and North Carolina’s House Bill 942 (also known as the Shalom Act) which utilizes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

North Carolina State will also revise training for students and staff, and conduct a campus survey to assess the depth of anti-Jewish sentiment.

Kenneth L. Marcus, founder and chairman of the Brandeis Center, called the settlement “a significant step forward in our efforts to combat antisemitism on college campuses.” He said the agreement “paves the way for meaningful change on both NCSU’s campus and on college campuses throughout the country.”

Robin Pick, senior counsel at the Brandeis Center, stated that “by committing to combat antisemitism in accordance with Executive Order 13899 and North Carolina House Bill 942, which apply to training, education, recognizing, identifying and combating antisemitic hate and discrimination, NC State has the opportunity to be a leader and a model for other universities in the fight against antisemitism.”