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# U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Resolves Investigation Addressing the University of Vermont’s Responses to Allegations of Antisemitic Incidents

# U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Resolves Investigation Addressing the University of Vermont’s Responses to Allegations of Antisemitic Incidents

April 3, 2023

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -        
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil  Rights (OCR) on Monday resolved investigation of a complaint regarding the  University of Vermont and State Agricultural College’s failure to respond to  antisemitic harassment.

OCR identified concerns over the university’s response to  complaints it received of antisemitic harassment. First, the university’s  Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (AAEO) Office declined to investigate  any of the complaints, even though they notified the university regarding  serious allegations of harassment. Second, 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 OCR investigation.

“I am grateful for the University of Vermont’s commitment  to address antisemitic harassment that violates federal civil rights law,” said  Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. “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 complaints about which the university received  notice, but did not investigate through its AAEO Office, included allegations  that a teaching assistant posted on social media about not giving Jewish  students course participation credit; subtracting points for Jewish students,  including because “I hate ur vibe in general”; celebrating the theft of an  Israeli flag from a Jewish student’s residence; and adding the word,  "Kristallnacht," above a picture of a damaged storefront with  accompanying Hebrew text.

They also included allegations that student groups  excluded Jewish students, that students threw rocks at the building housing  Hillel and student dormitory space, and that when a student living in the  building asked them to stop, one of the students responded, “Are you Jewish?”

To ensure full satisfaction of its obligations under  Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations, the  university entered into a resolution agreement committing it to:
- Review and revise its       policies and procedures to include a description of forms of       discrimination that can manifest in the university environment, and to       ensure that the university’s response to notice of discrimination       including national origin harassment on the basis of shared ancestry is       consistent with Title VI.
- Develop a protocol       clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the AAEO Office and Bias       Response Team to monitor implementation of the protocol by the       provost; 
- Train university staff       responsible for investigation of Title VI complaints.
- Train university senior       leadership, all other staff, and students on the Title VI prohibition       against harassment based on national origin, including shared ancestry, in       the university’s programs and activities.
- Issue a statement with a       commitment to address discrimination based on shared ancestry, including       antisemitism, within 30 days of the signing of the agreement and again       with its annual antidiscrimination statement.
- Review the university’s       2022 Climate Survey results to determine if other actions, beyond those       memorialized in the agreement, are needed to improve the campus climate.       And,  
- Submit to OCR during the       monitoring of the agreement copies of case files of complaints of       antisemitism filed during the preceding academic year.

The letter to the University of Vermont is available here and the resolution agreement is  available here.
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