The University of Vermont has agreed to resolve a federal investigation into allegations of antisemitism on campus, university and federal officials announced Monday.
As part of a resolution agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, The University of Vermont will strengthen its anti-discrimination policies and procedures, affirm its commitment to fighting prejudice and submit to more federal oversight.
“At the heart of the resolution agreement is our reaffirmation that when an act of antisemitism occurs, we will take appropriate and necessary action to address the act, prevent its recurrence, and support those impacted,” The University of Vermont’s Office of the Provost said in a message to community members on Monday.
The investigation stems from a 2021 federal complaint filed with the Department of Education by two national nonprofit Jewish advocacy groups, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Jewish On Campus
Because of their support for Israel, Jewish students had been excluded from student organizations, the complaint alleged, and endured “a campaign of intimidation, harassment, and discrimination.”
In one instance in 2021, a university teaching assistant allegedly tweeted about reducing Zionist students’ grades, saying it seemed “good and funny.” That fall, a group of students threw rocks and a “sticky substance” at the windows of the university’s Hillel Building, according to advocacy groups. When a resident asked them to stop, one of the vandals allegedly asked, “Are you Jewish?”
Students reported these incidents to UVM’s administration and told university officials that they had been “personally harassed and harmed” by antisemitism on campus, according to the complaint.
“To date, however, the university has taken no steps to rectify the situation,” the complaint stated.
In August, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights opened an investigation into those allegations.
After news of the federal investigation was reported, UVM President Suresh Garimella denied some of the allegations and criticized the media’s coverage of them, saying they “painted our community in a patently false light.”
But in their probe, investigators “identified concerns over the university’s response to complaints it received of antisemitic harassment,” federal officials said in a press release announcing the resolution on Monday.
UVM “declined to investigate any of the complaints, even though (students) notified the university regarding serious allegations of harassment,” the Department of Education said.
Department officials added that “responsive steps the university did take were delayed; were not designed to rectify concerns communicated to the university, including regarding the existence of a hostile environment; and may have discouraged students and staff from raising further concerns with the university or with participating in the (federal) investigation.”
Federal officials tried to contact multiple students seeking interviews, the department said in a letter detailing its investigation, but none responded.
Monday’s resolution marks an end to the roughly seven-month investigation. As part of that agreement, UVM agreed to add language about antisemitism to its equal opportunity and anti-harassment policies and create new protocols for responding to allegations of antisemitism.
The university will strengthen its anti-discrimination training for students, staff and administrators, and UVM officials will review the results of the 2022 Climate Survey and decide whether the university needs to do anything else “to improve the campus climate.”
The U.S. Department of Education will review and sign off on those changes. Federal officials will also review any and all complaints of antisemitism on campus — and how UVM responds to them — through 2025, or until federal officials decide the oversight is no longer necessary.
UVM is also required to “issue a statement with a commitment to address discrimination based on shared ancestry, including antisemitism” within 30 days of the resolution.
“I am grateful for the University of Vermont’s commitment to address antisemitic harassment that violates federal civil rights law,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon said in the Department’s press release. “Everyone has a right to learn in an environment free from antisemitic harassment. We will be watching to be sure these students are safe.”
“The resolution reflects an important step in UVM’s engagement with our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the surrounding community,” Garimella, the university president, wrote in a Monday statement. “It also reflects numerous conversations we have had with our campus Jewish community and important local and national voices on the consequential and complex issue of antisemitism.”
In interviews, Alyza Lewin, the president of the Brandeis Center, and Julia Jassey, the executive director of Jewish on Campus — the organizations that filed the initial complaint — applauded Monday’s announcement.
Lewin and Jassey said the resolution agreement was the first such agreement on antisemitism to emerge under the administration of President Joe Biden. Lewin called it “a significant milestone.”
“We are really looking forward to seeing The University of Vermont implement these policies,” Jassey said. “And we’re hopeful that this will lead to positive change on campus in response to antisemitism and signal nationwide the urgency of this issue and the importance of listening to students’ experiences and taking action on their stories.”
In an email, Matt Vogel, the executive director of Hillel at The University of Vermont, expressed appreciation for the conclusion of the investigation.
“The (UVM) President and senior leadership’s new statements today represent tangible and accountable steps forward,” Vogel said. “We hope this ensures that no Jewish student or any student at UVM experiences discrimination or harassment because of their identity.”
