U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce — Hearings on Antisemitism and Campus Safety

Summary

Beginning in late 2023, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce launched a series of hearings and investigations examining how colleges and universities across the country were addressing antisemitism on campus, particularly in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent campus protests. These proceedings, led largely by Republican members of Congress, targeted a range of institutions and administrators over what lawmakers described as failures to protect Jewish students.

The first major hearing took place on December 5, 2023. Titled “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism,” it featured the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Members of Congress, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, pressed the presidents on whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated school conduct codes. The university leaders offered cautious, legalistic responses that were widely criticized. Public backlash followed, and both Harvard President Claudine Gay and Penn President Liz Magill resigned within weeks. On December 13, the House passed House Resolution 927, which condemned antisemitism on college campuses and criticized the testimony given at the hearing.

On December 18, 2024, the Committee on Education and the Workforce released a staff report, House Report 118-970, that outlined alleged systemic failures by major universities to address antisemitism. The report included internal emails and policy reviews, and recommended clearer disciplinary protocols and enforcement of civil rights protections.

Congressional efforts continued in 2024. On May 1, the House passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which incorporated the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism into Department of Education guidance under Title VI. The bill aimed to identify certain forms of antisemitic expression—including some criticism of Israel—as grounds for federal enforcement.

On May 23, 2024, the committee held a second major hearing titled “Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic College Chaos.” Presidents from Rutgers, Northwestern, and UCLA testified about their handling of student encampments. Lawmakers criticized administrators for negotiating with protesters and not forcibly removing them, suggesting these decisions endangered Jewish students. Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway and others defended their approach, citing efforts to balance safety and speech rights.

A third hearing was held on May 7, 2025, titled “Beyond the Ivy League: Stopping the Spread of Antisemitism on American Campuses.” University leaders from Haverford College, DePaul University, Cal Poly, and Georgetown Law testified about specific campus incidents and how they enforced policies. The committee later requested documentation from several institutions related to disciplinary procedures and protest management.

The most recent hearing took place on July 15, 2025, and featured leaders from the University of California, Berkeley; the City University of New York (CUNY); and Georgetown University. It was repeatedly interrupted by protesters chanting pro-Palestinian slogans. Lawmakers questioned the presidents about chants, disinvitations of speakers, and administrative responses to antisemitic conduct. University leaders affirmed their commitment to protecting Jewish students while upholding academic freedom.

In parallel, federal enforcement actions escalated. In early 2025, the Trump administration reinstated and expanded a 2019 executive order directing federal agencies to enforce Title VI in cases of antisemitic discrimination. The Department of Justice and the Department of Education launched investigations at multiple institutions, including the University of California, examining their response to antisemitism and civil rights obligations.