Wellesley College Probed For Possible Ethnic, Ancestry Discrimination

WELLESLEY, MA — Wellesley College is one of seven schools being investigated for possible discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics as of this week, the U.S. Department of Education said in a news release Thursday.

The investigations are prodding higher education and K-12 schools for possible violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964— which prohibits race, color, or national origin discrimination—in response to a handful of complaints, five of which allege antisemitic harassment and two allege anti-Muslim harassment, officials said.

No additional information about the alleged harassment was shared, nor were details about at which school the individual incidents took place.

Along with Wellesley, the schools under investigation as of this week are the Maize Unified School District in Maize, Kansas, Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City, and Columbia University in New York City.

"Hate has no place in our schools, period. When students are targeted because they are—or are perceived to be—Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must act to ensure safe and inclusive educational environments where everyone is free to learn," U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in the news release. "These investigations underscore how seriously the Biden-Harris Administration, including the U.S. Department of Education, takes our responsibility to protect students from hatred and discrimination."

Officials also noted that releasing the list "advances President Biden’s promise to protect students, engage school and university leaders, and foster safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments."

"The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to putting an end to discrimination including on schools and college campuses," officials wrote.

Founded in 1870, Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college that states its mission as "to provide an excellent liberal arts education to women who will make a difference in the world."

Listing "diversity, equity, and inclusion" among the school's values, Wellesley's website says that "diversity is essential to educational excellence" and that the school is "committed to being a community in which each member thrives."

Patch reached out to Wellesley College for comment on the investigation.