Northwestern Students Blast Antisemitism Training Module

EVANSTON, IL — A mandatory student training module about antisemitism has sparked controversy among the Northwestern community, with some students complaining that the training is heavily biased and unscholarly.

The module, "Antisemitism Here/Now," launched earlier this year and adheres to federal policy including President Donald Trump’s Jan. 29 executive order, "Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism," according to a March email Northwestern sent to students.

According to students, the training video included many historical inaccuracies and harmful insinuations. The video likens critics of Israel to former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, comparing quotes from each on a slide.

In an open letter to the university, students and graduate workers expressed their concern about the video, stating that dozens of people were put under registration holds and couldn't sign up for classes or go to work if they didn't complete the training.

For all required training modules, like sexual assault prevention and substance abuse, failure to complete the training could result in a registration hold.

The letter denounces the video, saying it shows a clear anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bias.

"The severe consequences imposed for disagreement with this morally and intellectually objectionable content presents an extremely dangerous and unethical threat to the academic freedom of our scholarly community that may itself give rise to illegal discrimination," the letter reads. "We, as well as a number of faculty members, have attempted on many occasions to bring our good-faith concerns to your attention, yet regretfully, we have seen no changes to the policy."

Former university president Michael Schill backlash for the university's response to campus protests in 2023 over the war in Gaza. During a congressional meeting last year, Republicans accused Northwestern of not doing enough to address antisemitism during the protests.