Independent Review Launched to Address Anti-Semitism at City University of New York

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — An independent body will review anti-Semitism measures at the City University of New York, the largest urban public university in the United States, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday, as protests against the war between Israel and Hamas on campuses across the country.

Hochul, who is a Democrat, said he will review how the university handles complaints of anti-Semitism and recommend measures for administrators to protect Jewish students and faculty. It will be directed by Jonathan Lippman, a former chief justice of the state supreme court.

Throughout decades of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, there have always been strong political tensions at CUNY, which comprises 25 campuses and some 250,000 students. At times the protests and rallies have attracted widespread attention with accusations of anti-Semitism.

“We will confront the anti-Semitism we have seen on college campuses,” Hochul said. “The problem did not begin in the weeks following the October 7 attacks. “It has been growing on several campuses and most acutely at the City University of New York.”

The investigation will include an assessment of anti-Semitism on the system’s campuses, how colleges investigate complaints of anti-Semitism and discrimination, and present recommendations to respect freedom of expression while protecting people from discrimination and anti-Semitism, he added.

A report on the evaluation is expected by the middle of next year.

“As a judge and attorney, I have always focused first and foremost on fairness and equal justice,” Lippman said in a statement. “That same sense of fairness and freedom from intimidation, for Jewish students and everyone else in the CUNY academic community, will be at the center of my research.”

CUNY said in a statement that it will cooperate with the investigation.

“As an institution of higher education and one of the most diverse universities in the country, CUNY has taken many steps to combat hate, discrimination and intolerance in all its forms, an important task we do every day,” the statement said. . “We will collaborate with Judge Lippman’s investigation as we continue to build on the progress made.”

2023-10-31 19:42:02
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