American colleges have reported a spike in crimes apparently targeting Jewish and Muslim people this week, as the war between Israel and Hamas continues into its fourth week.
Anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents have occurred at several colleges from the San Francisco Bay Area to upstate New York, prompting politicians and civil rights organizations to speak out about students feeling vulnerable on campus.
“Let me be clear: We cannot allow hatred and intimidation to become normal,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Tuesday after a Cornell University student was accused of violence on the Ithaca campus , New York, for making anti-Semitic threats. “As governor, I reiterate that there is zero tolerance for anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or hatred of any kind in New York, and it is critical that we use every federal resource possible to keep New Yorkers safe.”
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High-profile incidents at American universities are being investigated
Targeted threats being investigated by officials at universities across the country include the following.
- St. John’s University: The university is investigating an incident in which a person allegedly placed a leaflet from one of the hostages held by Hamas outside the Muslim prayer room at St. John’s University, St. John’s University student-run newspaper The Torch reported on Saturday. St. John’s University spokesman Brian Browne confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY on Saturday that an investigation into the incident at the campus in Queens, New York, was underway. To date, the university has not informed local police about the incident. The administration has encouraged students to report other incidents online.
- Cornell University: Patrick Dai, a 21-year-old student, was held without bond earlier this week after police and the university accused him of posting threats to kill, harm and rape Jewish students on a Greek life forum. According to court documents, the US Justice Department accused Dai of using intergovernmental communications to make threats. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release. Dai is being held at the Broome County Jail and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 15.
- Stanford University: An Arab-Muslim student was struck by a vehicle while walking on Friday afternoon in a reported hit-and-run on the Palo Alto, Calif., campus, the Stanford Daily student newspaper first reported. After hitting the victim, the driver of a black Toyota 4Runner, described by the victim as a white male in his 20s, allegedly yelled “f— you and your people” before driving away, a safety alert said the campus on Saturday. In a campus message Friday, university President Richard Saller and Provost Jenny Martinez wrote that the California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. CHP Officer Andrew Barclay told USA TODAY the state agency is in contact with campus police who are investigating the crime. The student was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the university said.
- Millersville University: A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man reportedly painted two swastikas on the elevator and sidewalk of a residence hall at Millersville University in Lancaster, Pennsylvania last Sunday, Lancaster Online reported. According to news reports, the suspect, Ethan Rosencrans, is not a student at the university. Rosencrans is charged with felony vandalism, state court records show.
- University of North Carolina: Posts were shared on social media about a possible attack on a Muslim student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill on Oct. 31, The Daily Tar Heel, UNC’s student-run newspaper, reported. A Chapel Hill police watch commander told USA TODAY Saturday that Chief Celisa Lehew had information about the incident but would not be in the office and available to answer questions until Monday. The commander declined to share with USA TODAY previously emailed news statements the department sent to other media outlets about the incident. Lehew previously said in a Nov. 1 statement on the city’s website that attacks like the one described on social media should not be tolerated in Chapel Hill and urged anyone with information to contact police. UNC’s Muslim Students Association posted on Instagram warning hijabis and other Muslim students to avoid the area. They identified the victim of the attack as a student who is “safe” and cooperating with police.
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Jewish and Muslim organizations denounce attacks against students
Nonprofits and activist organizations for Jewish and Muslim students have condemned the attacks, harassment and intimidation of students since the conflict began on October 7.
The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in an Oct. 11 statement that the organization is concerned that Muslim and Arab students are reporting more incidents of harassment and intimidation as the crisis continues abroad. The organization called on college and high school administrators to pay attention and take action to protect these students and investigate any reports of targeted attacks or threats.
“In this politically charged environment, many Muslim and Arab students are feeling increasingly vulnerable and attacked because of their different identities,” said Zainab Chaudry, director of CAIR in Maryland.
The Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights organization focused on combating acts of hate and anti-Semitism, issued a statement along with the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law on October 25 calling on universities to withdraw their chapters Students for Justice in Palestine to investigate whether they may be supporting a terrorist organization.
“If universities fail to review the activities of their SJP departments, they may be violating the legal right of their Jewish students to be free from harassment and discrimination on campus,” the statement said.
National Students for Justice in Palestine previously told USA TODAY in an Oct. 18 statement that it was disturbed by how the ADL had labeled its organization and student chapters. They added that the league is “above all pro-Israel,” linking part of the statement to a 2019 Jewish Current magazine opinion piece about the ADL.
“As for the ADL calling our organization anti-Semitic, they have no credibility whatsoever to decide what is anti-Semitic and what is not,” said the National Students for Justice in Palestine. “ADL Director Jonathan Greenblatt has claimed that anti-Zionism – opposition to Zionism, a late 19th century political project – is synonymous with anti-Semitism.”
The American Civil Liberties Union responded to the ADL’s letter and sent a similar letter to hundreds of colleges and universities, urging leaders to reject calls to investigate pro-Palestinian student groups “for exercising their right to free speech.”