UMass Amherst reviewed for bias
Is the subject of 2 federal probes
The University of Massachusetts Amherst has been added to the list of public and private colleges under investigation by the US Department of Education for possible discrimination in the wake of campus unrest over the Israel-Hamas war.
A growing number of schools, including Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Middlebury College, are being probed by the department’s Office for Civil Rights following the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which revealed deep divisions on campuses across the nation.
A spokesperson for UMass Amherst, Samuel Masinter, confirmed that the state’s public flagship campus is facing two separate investigations by the Office for Civil Rights — one alleging anti-Jewish discrimination and one alleging anti-Palestinian discrimination.
“The University of Massachusetts Amherst will cooperate fully with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights as it investigates these complaints,” Masinter said.
He added the university “has condemned hatred in all forms.”
The university learned in February of the first investigation, which alleges “the University discriminated against students on the basis of their national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) when it failed to respond appropriately to incidents of harassment during October and November 2023.”
UMass has not seen the complaint but pointed to an online article that reported it was filed by the editor of Campus Reform, a conservative news organization.
Last week, UMass learned the same office has opened an investigation alleging “a hostile anti-Palestinian environment” on campus, prompted by a complaint filed by Palestine Legal, an advocacy group.
Radhika Sainath, senior staff attorney with Palestine Legal based in New York City, confirmed Wednesday that the group filed a complaint on behalf of more than 18 UMass students who say they have experienced discrimination and harassment. Sainath said that the students submitted numerous internal complaints to the university but feel they did not receive adequate support or assistance.
“It’s really important that OCR is taking this seriously because students have the right to speak out against genocide without fear of harassment,” Sainath said in an interview. “This was a last resort action.”
Maysoun Batley, a senior at UMass Amherst involved in the complaint, described her experience in recent months as “absolutely horrifying.”
“The way UMass has treated us shows a bias, and we think it’s important for that to be exposed,” she said.
Middlebury College in Vermont is also under investigation by the Office for Civil Rights for possible antisemitism, the school confirmed Wednesday. A nonprofit focused on antisemitism called StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice said in a February news release that it filed the complaint with the Department of Education.
A spokesperson for Middlebury, Jon Reidel, said the school is “fully cooperating with its investigation.”
“In the meantime, the important work of education — historical awareness, engaging across difference, groundbreaking initiatives in the area of conflict transformation and ensuring our students are supported — continues every day,” Reidel said. “We will not tolerate and have not tolerated discriminatory behavior on our campus.”
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in educational institutions that receive federal funding. The Education Department could withhold funding from schools as a result of these investigations, but it typically arrives at settlements with schools.