Federal Investigation Launched into Alleged Antisemitism and Islamophobia at U.S. Schools

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has opened discrimination investigations into several universities, including Columbia, Cooper Union, and Cornell, following complaints of antisemitic and anti-Muslim harassment after the Israel-Hamas war. The investigations are part of the Biden administration's efforts to address the rise in reports of discrimination. The universities are being investigated for possible violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Protests on college campuses have intensified tensions between student groups, faculty, and administrations, with concerns raised over security and free speech. The number of hate crimes and antisemitic incidents in New York has significantly increased during the conflict.