The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that George Washington University (GWU) violated federal civil rights law by showing “deliberate indifference” toward a hostile environment
for Jewish, American-Israeli, and Israeli students and faculty.
The finding comes as part of the Trump administration’s broader push against what it calls campus-fueled antisemitism, following recent multi-million-dollar settlements with Brown and Columbia Universities.
In a letter to GWU President Ellen Granberg, the Justice Department accused the school of failing to act on complaints, address misconduct, or prevent harm stemming from “antisemitic, disruptive protests” in April and May 2024.
GWU was among many universities that hosted pro-Palestinian encampments in spring 2024, shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. At one point, protesters projected messages such as “Glory to Our Martyrs” and “Divestment from Zionist Genocide Now” onto a campus building. The university later suspended both Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace in attempts to defuse tensions. In May 2024, it also barred a student from campus after she called for divestment from Israel during her graduation speech.
Following the investigation, the Justice Department offered GWU a “voluntary resolution agreement” to secure “immediate remediation,” without specifying the exact measures.
In its response, GWU said it had “worked diligently” with Jewish community members and authorities to combat antisemitism and would continue those efforts. Photo by Ingfbruno, Wikimedia commons.
