E&W Blog

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in the workplace based on religion, national origin, or race. It applies to both direct antisemitic discrimination and to an employer permitting antisemitic harassment or a hostile work environment.

Chairman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) led the hearing by establishing the gravity of rampant antisemitism against Jewish students and employees at universities. “We have seen university leaders stand by as this horror played out on their campuses, even in some cases catering to those who promote antisemitism and celebrate terrorism,” he stated.

Hearing witnesses came from across the country to share expert opinions and personal testimony, including Mr. Mark Rienzi, President and CEO of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty; Professor Brian Keating, Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD); and Professor Dafna Golden, Geography Professor at Mt. San Antonio College.

Following opening remarks, Members asked questions about the specific instances in which colleges and universities have allowed antisemitic, hostile work environments to foment. In an exchange with Professor Keating, Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) asked about an annual anti-Israel event held at UCSD, where Keating is a tenured faculty member.

After describing the event colloquially known as “Israel Hate Week,” which aligns each year with Holocaust Remembrance Day, Professor Keating added, “It becomes an intimidating, intolerable location at the center of our campus student union for most students to walk by for an entire week on campus.”

Then, Professor Golden shared with the Subcommittee her stories of even more direct confrontation with hate-filled antisemitism. According to her opening testimony, students have falsely labeled her a “violent Zionist” and a “former soldier of the IDF.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) asked Professor Golden to elaborate on her experience and how these attacks contribute to “the overall atmosphere that Jewish faculty and Jewish students are facing at your college.”

“The administration has chosen the path of least resistance, doing the bare minimum to appear to take antisemitism seriously,” replied Professor Golden.

Unions are also an active force perpetuating antisemitic demonstrations on campus. At UCSD, United Auto Workers (UAW) represented employees participated in a strike following antisemitic student encampments. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) asked, “Professor Keating, are you aware of the UAW strike on the campus?”

He responded, “I am aware of it, in fact, our teaching assistants in my classes—and I’ve taught thousands of students over the years—they are effectively forced to be members of the United Auto Workers union as part of their contract and collective bargaining agreement.”

In effect, the university is forcing union representation onto unwilling Jewish employees and those who simply stand against antisemitism—union representation that is directly opposed to their beliefs and values.

Moving to another school in the University of California system, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) unveiled the bombshell accusation of a Jewish UCLA student, who in a lawsuit alleges “professors would offer students extra credit for attending antisemitic rallies.”