Northwestern University among 5 colleges in Trump probe by Education Dept. over alleged antisemitism​on February 4, 2025 at 4:07 pm

EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) — The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities, including Northwestern University, the Education Department announced Monday.

It’s part of President Donald Trump’s promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than former President Joe Biden’s administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. The new investigations were opened the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

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In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

The five universities being targeted by the probe are Columbia University in New York University of California – Berkeley, Portland State University in Oregon, the University of Minnesota and Northwestern University.

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The department didn’t provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism amid protests against Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza. The searing hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia’s Minouche Shafik.

Northwestern released a statement acknowledging they have “received notice” of the investigation, and said they “intend to fully comply with federal investigators as we have with the House Committee on Education and the Workforce over the past year.”

“There is no place for antisemitism or any form of identity-based discrimination or hate at Northwestern University. Free expression and academic freedom are among our core values, but we have made clear that these values provide no excuse for behavior that threatens the well-being of others,” the statement continued. “We are confident in the actions we have taken to address antisemitism on our campus, including updating our Student Code of Conduct, our disciplinary procedures and making investments in public safety. We continue to work tirelessly to make our university a safe and non-discriminatory educational institution.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.