Ohio State accused of failing to address antisemitism by national Jewish groups

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State University is facing another federal complaint that it failed to address antisemitic events on and near campus since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The complaint, filed by three prominent Jewish organizations with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on Tuesday, accuses the university of inadequately addressing multiple incidents of harassment and violence against Jewish and Israeli students. The university's improper response to such incidents amounts to violations of federal anti-discrimination laws, the organizations contend.

The groups behind the complaint are StandWithUs, an international nonprofit that describes itself as an "Israel education organization" and opponent of antisemitisim; the Anti-Defamation League; and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. The groups say that since Oct. 7, antisemitism on and near campus has "run the gamut," from targeted harassment of Ohio State's Hillel Center to students being called antisemitic slurs and assaulted.

“Since October 7, Jewish students on campuses nationwide have faced unprecedented antisemitic harassment and discrimination,” said Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs, in a news release. “Ohio State University is no exception. Antisemitism is expressed openly; blatant verbal and physical threats and attacks on Jewish students often go unaddressed by the administration. By filing this Title VI federal complaint, we aim to hold the administration accountable.”

In a statement, an Ohio State spokesperson said "Ohio State has never – and will never – tolerate discrimination or harassment of anyone based on their religious beliefs, nationality or identity." In a letter to StandWithUs, Ohio State leadership said the complaint inaccurately described the university's response, and that Ohio State has been "focused on supporting members of our university community" since the Oct. 7 attacks.

The Office of Civil Rights is already investigating Ohio State after it received a complaint that the university has failed to address antisemitism. Since Oct. 7, federal investigations have been opened into more than three dozen colleges for alleged discrimination on the basis of shared ancestry. Office of Civil Rights investigations follow a lengthy process and can take years to resolve.

Amid high tensions over the Israel-Hamas war, a flurry of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have been reported at colleges across the country, including at Ohio State. In addition to highlighting publicly reported incidents of harassment or violence, the groups' complaint outlined more than a dozen antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents it said the university didn't properly address, including:

• In late January, a student living off campus reported that their mezuzah, a scroll containing passages from the Torah, had been torn from their doorpost and thrown on the ground
• In early February, Jewish students eating Shabbat dinner at Hillel were allegedly interrupted by students shouting, "Free Palestine" and banging on the windows
• Multiple incidents of Jewish students being harassed on campus about the Israel-Hamas war

The groups also took aim at protesters and groups on campus that oppose Israel's war in Gaza, including Students for Justice in Palestine. The complaint says that multiple protests on campus have led to antisemitic sentiment and rhetoric.

"On November 17, 2023, an unaffiliated student group staged a demonstration inside of Thompson Library, unfurling a large banner, shouting slogans falsely accusing Israel of 'genocide,' and loudly reading out the names of people killed in Gaza, disrupting the study space there for approximately an hour," the complaint reads.

In Ohio State's response to StandWithUs, it said it's beholden to the First Amendment speech protections but is "fully prepared" to address speech that incites violence.

The response letter pointed to multiple steps Ohio State has taken to address antisemitic harassment, boost safety on and off campus and support students and staff. The university added more security cameras, increased its police force's joint patrol of the off-campus area with Columbus police, and has a dedicated detective assigned to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces.

Several of the incidents StandWithUs included in the complaint were not reported to the university, Ohio State's letter reads. Of the ones that were, Ohio State said the complaint "mischaracterizes the university's response" in one instance and otherwise inaccurately laid out the timeline of events and responses. In addition to opening investigations into reports, Ohio State has made multiple public statements condemning antisemitic harassment and violence against students.

"Through both our words and, importantly, our actions, we continually reaffirm and communicate messaging focused on our expectations regarding an environment of respect and compassion during this extraordinarily difficult time for many on our campuses," Ohio State's response reads. "It is very disappointing that your letter to us does not accurately represent what has occurred at Ohio State or the university’s strong and ongoing response."