Napa, CA – Six California universities are among 60 colleges and universities across the country that have been warned by U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon about the possibility of facing penalties under the Civil Rights Act if they fail to protect Jewish students from antisemitism during ongoing pro-Palestinian campus protests.
In a letter sent out on Monday, McMahon notified several prominent institutions, including California State University, Sacramento, Chapman University, University of California (UC) Davis, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Berkeley, urging them to address the rising tide of antisemitic incidents linked to protests on their campuses.
The warning follows a turbulent period of unrest at U.S. universities, particularly amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. McMahon emphasized that universities receiving federal funding must adhere to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin. The act extends its protection to Jewish students, a group that has reportedly faced increasing safety concerns during recent demonstrations.
“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.”
The letter from McMahon underscores the government’s concerns about the persistent disruptions caused by antisemitic rhetoric and violence at various campuses. Reports have surfaced indicating that Jewish students have felt unsafe and threatened as pro-Palestinian protests, including at high-profile universities in California, continue to escalate. Some protests have even resulted in violent confrontations between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups.
In response to the unrest, President Donald Trump also weighed in on the controversy, commenting on the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student. Khalil, who was involved in organizing protests, had his student visa revoked, and Trump warned that further arrests could be expected as part of a broader crackdown on anti-Israel activism. “We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again,” Trump wrote on social media.
The letter from McMahon serves as a stark reminder that universities must maintain safe environments for all students, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation. Failure to protect Jewish students from harassment or discrimination during protests could lead to potential federal penalties, including the loss of federal funding.
The warning comes at a time when campuses across the country are grappling with the complexities of free speech and the right to protest. Last year, thousands of students were arrested during campus demonstrations, many of which were focused on the Israel-Hamas conflict. In California, protests at institutions such as UCLA, USC, and Berkeley have drawn significant attention, with weeks-long sit-ins and clashes between opposing groups.
In total, the letter from McMahon was sent to a broad array of universities, including six of the eight Ivy League schools and major state universities across the nation. The full list of affected institutions includes both public and private universities, ranging from prestigious schools like Harvard University and Princeton University to smaller colleges like Pomona College and Swarthmore College.
As protests continue to unfold, university officials across the country are under pressure to balance the right to free expression with the need to ensure student safety and prevent discrimination. The Department of Education’s warning signals the federal government’s increased focus on ensuring that campus protests do not lead to violations of civil rights protections, particularly for Jewish students.
The situation remains fluid, and it is unclear how universities will respond to the growing pressure. However, the outcome of this ongoing issue could have significant implications for campus policies regarding free speech and the safety of students on U.S. college campuses.