2 VA Colleges Could Face Antisemitism Penalties: Trump Administration

VIRGINIA — George Mason University and the University of Virginia are among 60 colleges and universities around the country warned by Education Secretary Linda McMahon Monday that they could face penalties under the Civil Rights Act if they fail to protect Jewish students from antisemitism during pro-Palestinian campus protests.

Although UVA and GMU are the only colleges in the state to receive McMahon’s warning, American University in Washington, D.C., and Johns Hopkins University in Maryland were also included on the education secretary’s list.

McMahon’s letter came two days after the arrest and possible deportation of a Palestinian activist who helped lead protests at Columbia University.

President Donald Trump also warned Monday the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful U.S. resident and graduate student at Columbia, will be the first “of many to come” as his administration cracks down on campus demonstrations against Israel and the war in Gaza.

“We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again.”

In her letter, McMahon told the institutions they would face “potential enforcement action” if they fail to uphold Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which makes it illegal for institutions and activities receiving federal funding to discriminate “on the basis of race, color, and national origin.”

“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year. University leaders must do better,” McMahon said in a statement. “U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws.”

Hundreds of protesters gathered in New York City Monday to demand the release of the Syrian-born Columbia University graduate student, Mahmoud Khalil, whose student visa was revoked.

Mason Police investigated an Aug. 28, 2024, incident of criminal vandalism, after pro-Palestine graffiti was found at the Johnson Center.

In February, the GMU Board of Visitors unanimously approved an antisemitism resolution that included four key directives for the school.

“The revised resolution says the university will produce a fact sheet about antisemitism and align its antisemitism stance with other nondiscriminatory language, ensure that antisemitism is part of employee onboarding and annual training, not sponsor or endorse known antisemitic activities, and state that its policy is to prohibit discrimination based on Jewish ancestry or Israeli national origin and that allegations of such discrimination will be acted on within established disciplinary processes,” according to a GMU release.

George Mason University police investigated an Aug. 28, 2024, incident of criminal vandalism, after pro-Palestine graffiti was found at the Johnson Center.

Last year, more than 3,000 people, including more than 220 at Columbia University, were arrested in campus protests, encampments and occupations held during the Israel-Hamas war. Demonstrations were held on at least 84 campuses, according to an NBC News tally.

The institutions, located in both Republican and Democratic-voting states, include six of the eight Ivy League schools, state universities and smaller colleges.

Here’s the full list:

1. American University
2. Arizona State University
3. Boston University
4. Brown University
5. California State University, Sacramento
6. Chapman University
7. Columbia University
8. Cornell University
9. Drexel University
10. Eastern Washington University
11. Emerson College
12. George Mason University
13. Harvard University
14. Illinois Wesleyan University
15. Indiana University, Bloomington
16. Johns Hopkins University
17. Lafayette College
18. Lehigh University
19. Middlebury College
20. Muhlenberg College
21. Northwestern University
22. Ohio State University
23. Pacific Lutheran University
24. Pomona College
25. Portland State University
26. Princeton University
27. Rutgers University
28. Rutgers University-Newark
29. Santa Monica College
30. Sarah Lawrence College
31. Stanford University
32. State University of New York Binghamton
33. State University of New York Rockland
34. State University of New York, Purchase
35. Swarthmore College
36. Temple University
37. The New School
38. Tufts University
39. Tulane University
40. Union College
41. University of California Davis
42. University of California San Diego
43. University of California Santa Barbara
44. University of California, Berkeley
45. University of Cincinnati
46. University of Hawaii at Manoa
47. University of Massachusetts Amherst
48. University of Michigan
49. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
50. University of North Carolina
51. University of South Florida
52. University of Southern California
53. University of Tampa
54. University of Tennessee
55. University of Virginia
56. University of Washington-Seattle
57. University of Wisconsin, Madison
58. Wellesley College
59. Whitman College
60. Yale University

The Associated Press contributed reporting.