The University of Wisconsin-Madison was among a list of 60 schools the U.S. Department of Education warned Monday about a potential loss of federal funding if they fail to protect Jewish students.
The schools on the list were a mix of public universities and Ivy League institutions. It included Columbia University, which saw $400 million in grants and contracts canceled last week over claims it tolerated antisemitism. The institution was the site of monthslong demonstrations by pro-Palestinian protesters last school year.
“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “University leaders must do better.”
McMahon said universities’ federal funding is a privilege that hinges on institutions following antidiscrimination laws.
UW-Madison was already under investigation in response to a complaint filed last year by Campus Reform, a conservative news outlet, alleging anti-Jewish bias. A federal education department online database indicated the case was still open as of mid-January.
UW-Madison spokesperson John Lucas said the university opposes antisemitism in all of its forms and continues to cooperate with any inquiries or requests for information from the Department of Education.
Pro-Palestinian protesters pitched dozens of tents on Library Mall at UW-Madison in the last two weeks of the spring 2024 semester. The encampment fostered fear among some Jewish students while others went about their normal routines.
In the wake of the encampments, UW-Madison created an expressive activity policy that the university said provided more clarity on how, where and when the campus community could protest. The policy has been criticized for being overly broad, unclear and potentially even unconstitutional.
Other recent actions by UW-Madison include issuing campuswide guidance on political advocacy, launching a mandatory free expression training for new students, shifting to a centralized intake of bias reports, revising the code of conduct to hold student organizations accountable for their actions, and adopting a new policy spelling out how and who can make statements about the university.
Kelly Meyerhofer covers higher education in Wisconsin. Contact her at [email protected] or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: University of Wisconsin warned about potential loss of federal funding
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