Cal Poly Humboldt announced last week that the university was under investigation by the Civil Rights office of the US Department of Education.
It follows a March complaint by Washington, D.C.-based Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, along with Jewish on Campus, who called for the university to be investigated by the office over a series of recent incidents. The March complaint alleged “the university has not taken meaningful steps to eliminate the hostile climate for Jewish students at Cal Poly Humboldt.”
The administration has opened investigations into 60 universities over allegations of antisemitic discrimination and harassment, including at California State University at Sacramento, Stanford University, UC Davis, UC San Diego and UC Berkeley. The University of California also faces a U.S. Justice Department investigation over claims the system allowed an “antisemitic hostile work environment.” And a federal task force charged with combating antisemitism is set to visit UC Berkeley to investigate allegations the university failed to protect Jewish students and faculty from harassment and discrimination.
On Friday, Cal Poly Humboldt interim president Michael E. Spagna wrote in a letter to the campus that “The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has now formally opened an investigation into the complaint.”
“We are working closely with The California State University to respond to OCR’s investigation and ensure we are compliant with all federal requirements. At this stage, we are not able to share any additional information, but we remain committed to addressing the process thoughtfully and responsibly. We also recognize that this may be an especially difficult and painful time for our Jewish students, faculty and staff, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure our entire campus community can feel safe,” he wrote.
He said the campus has zero tolerance for antisemitism, discrimination, harassment or any actions and speech that infringe on the rights, dignities or safety of others, and he encouraged anyone who witnesses these to report it to the Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Prevention office or the University Police Department.
The March complaint cited incidents ranging from anti-Israel protesters being allowed to convene near a student group’s table on Oct. 7, 2024, at the campus quad, with one activist later throwing red paint on the students at the table. The letter said campus police did not respond to the paint incident. It also noted a spread of messages decrying Israel and Zionism being penned on signs and in chalk in multiple incidents, plus various responses on behalf of administrators to heated political debates on campus that have gone on for the past year that the letter alleges administrators did not properly respond to.
Another incident at a student club fair allegedly involved a student shouting at Chabad at Cal Poly Humboldt’s table (calling the students “baby killers”) and further blocking conversation there. The letter said the students were told by an associate dean they should leave the fair, and administrators later issued a two-way no-contact order between the students at the table at the one who approached the table.
Cal Poly Humboldt has been a hotspot for protests against Israel, including a nearly week long pro-Palestinian occupation of the campus, calling for the end of the Israel-Hamas war.
The letter said one student has stopped attending classes in person due to the hostile environment on campus.
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The complaint calls for the university to “establish and enforce policies forbidding protests in classroom buildings, dormitories, libraries, dining halls etc.” and a “zero tolerance” policy for classroom and learning environment disruptions, among other recommendations.
A Department of Education press contact did not return questions sent via email before the Times-Standard’s print deadline. Notably, the department’s staff has been slashed by the Trump administration, which aims to dismantle it entirely. The Office for Civil Rights is also investigating Cal Poly Humboldt among 45 universities for its affiliation with an organization that encourages African American, Hispanic American and Native American students to get Ph.Ds, because it “limits eligibility based on the race of participants” — though the Ph.D project said earlier it opened membership to anyone this year.
Bay Area News Group reporter Molly Gibbs contributed to this report.
Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441-0504.
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