Published on 10/1/24 by KOMO News SEATTLE — The University of Washington is now the subject of a civil rights complaint filed on behalf of Jewish students. The complaint was filed by the Brandeis Center on Sept. 24. It starts by saying”Jewish students at the University of Washington (“UW” or “the University”) have been subjected to severe and persistent harassment and discrimination based on their shared ancestry and ethnicity, which has created a hostile environment on campus. Jewish students have been threatened with physical harm, excluded and forced out of areas on campus they are entitled to access, and unable to attend class. Vandals have repeatedly covered the campus with anti-Semitic graffiti calling for violence against Zionists.” The complaint says that the University knew about antisemitic incidents, but has not taken meaningful steps to “address the hostile climate for Jewish students at UW.” Much of the complaint describes instances that happened earlier in the year when a pro-Palestinian encampment took over The Quad. Some protests and counter-protests included pro-Israeli supporters. However, the complaint says the discrimination of students on campus began shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel. “Shortly after Oct. 7, the UW student group, SUPER UW, held a rally to “honor the martyrs of Palestine,” venerating the Hamas terrorists who murdered, raped, and tortured innocent Jewish children, babies, women, and the elderly in the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. At the rally, protestors chanted “from the river to the sea,” a slogan calling for genocide through the ethnic cleansing of Jews from the State of Israel.” It also states that in the last 180 days, there have been instances where the UW campus has been covered with antisemitic graffiti. The complaint also details the accounts of two students referred to as Student A and Student B. “On or about April 30, when Student A approached the area of the encampment, students wearing keffiyehs confronted him and stated threatening words to the effect of, “We’re going to kill [you]” and “We’re going to end your life.” “On multiple occasions, Student B approached both local law enforcement and campus security to inform them about the harassment he faced at the encampment. Student B also discussed the incidents with Dean [redacted], UW’s Vice President of Student Life. But the University did not provide support or protection in response to these complaints, and police told Jewish students to “go around” the encampment for their own safety.” Student B ultimately transferred out of the university, according to the complaint. The complaint also mentions the recent Board of Regents meeting that was ended due to interruptions from pro-Palestinian supporters. The Brandeis Center alleges that UW has violated Title VI, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in educational institutions that receive federal funding.” It calls for the Department of Education’s, Office of Civil Rights (OCR), to investigate the University of Washington and suggests several steps be taken by the school including: Enforce UW’s policies against vandalism and make clear that defacing buildings, sidewalks, benches, or other property with anti-Semitic language and symbols violates University policy and will not be tolerated Ensure that all students have equal access to university facilities and services on a non-discriminatory basis and are provided with a safe environment protected from harassment, discrimination, and harm Work with local law enforcement and/or the Campus Community Safety Division to enhance security measures and protections for Jewish and Israeli students in and around campus Issue a statement denouncing anti-Semitism in all its forms A university spokesperson issued a statement to KOMO News in a response to the complaint. “The University of Washington is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all students, faculty and staff, and we are cooperating with the Office of Civil Rights as it investigates these complaints. We are in active discussions with OCR to resolve the matter and address the concerns these complaints have raised. While we are anticipating the Oct. 15 release of the final report and recommendations from the UW’s task forces on antisemitism and Islamophobia, we have taken steps to reiterate our community expectations and guidelines around freedom of expression.” They also mentioned this previous statement from the university president. And added, “Some allegations of alleged antisemitic behavior have been reported to us and referred to the appropriate investigative office at the UW. We encourage any Jewish student facing bias or harassment on campus to report it.”