Press Releases

Today, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens (R-UT) sent letters to five schools (Barnard College, Bowdoin College, Northwestern University, Pomona College, and Sarah Lawrence College) demanding answers regarding their lackluster response to the rise in antisemitism on their campuses.

In the letter to Barnard College, the Members write: “[O]n February 26th, dozens of masked agitators gathered at Barnard’s Milbank Hall to protest . . . two student expulsions. … The protesters . . . occupied the building for more than six hours and caused $30,000 in damages. … Even more recently, on March 5, . . .a bomb threat prompted an evacuation of [Barnard’s Milstein] library, requiring the response of dozens of New York City Police officers who spent nearly two hours clearing students from the scene.” Read the full Barnard College letter here.

In the letter to Bowdoin College, the Members write: "While . . . approximately 50 students are facing discipline for their involvement in . . . [an] Encampment, it is unclear whether these students will ultimately receive meaningful discipline, particularly given that the Encampment ended following what Bowdoin’s Senior Vice President and Dean for Student Affairs Jim Hoppe described as an ‘understanding’ with the Bowdoin administration." Read the full Bowdoin College letter here. 

In the letter to Northwestern University, the Members write: "The Community Justice and Civil Rights Clinic at Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law (Northwestern Law) is providing free legal representation in a civil suit to the organizers of an anti-Israel blockade of highway traffic to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. This blockade resulted in the arrest of 40 participants. The fact that Northwestern, a university supported by billions in federal funds, would dedicate its resources to support this illegal, antisemitic conduct raises serious questions." Read the full Northwestern University letter here.

In the letter to Pomona College, the Members write: "[W]e are concerned about Pomona[‘s] . . . grade of ‘F’ on the Anti-Defamation League’s 2025 Campus Antisemitism Report Card (Report Card). The Report Card [describes]. . . an April 2023 flyer commemorating Israel’s Independence Day that was defaced with the words, ‘Have you no shame, you bloodthirsty baby killers,’ a comment that appears to reference blood libel, an ancient and false antisemitic allegation dating back to the Middle Ages." Read the full Pomona College letter here.

In the letter to Sarah Lawrence College, the Members write: "The Committee . . . has significant concerns regarding antisemitism at Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) and questions . . . SLC’s response to antisemitism . . . , including the recent November 2024 takeover of SLC’s main administrative building and the . . . establishment of an encampment, which actions resulted in SLC granting two major demands from encampment organizers. … SLC allowed this building takeover and encampment to persist for a week before yielding to encampment organizers’ demands. … Further, SLC’s acquiescence to organizers’/perpetrators’ demands is an all too familiar dynamic which only encourages such antisemitic incidents." Read the full Sarah Lawrence College letter here.

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