July 8, 2024 — New York, NY
American Jewish Committee (AJC) today welcomed the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement that it has entered into a resolution agreement with Brown University to ensure that Jewish students’ rights are protected under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The agreement also includes protections for students with Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim ancestry.
As made clear by today’s agreement, Brown has taken notable proactive steps, including implementing antisemitism education and training for students and staff and updating key policies and procedures. However, the agreement also emphasized the need for more effective responses from the university to bias and discrimination complaints.
The report details that the more than 75 shared ancestry-based bias and discrimination complaints filed at Brown were met with inconsistent responses and follow-up. It is the university’s responsibility, not that of individual students, to pursue these complaints and create uniform and fair internal mechanisms for handling them. This agreement with the Department of Education makes clear that Brown must improve its response coordination and efficacy, even as the university has made important headway in improving its campus atmosphere in other key areas. All schools should take note that they have a responsibility to investigate bias and harassment incidents not just if a complaint is filed, but if they knew or should have been aware of an issue.
AJC has and will continue to work with Brown University administration and students to help foster a campus environment that is not only safe and welcoming to Jewish students, faculty, and staff but also allows for a Jewish community to grow and thrive. AJC appreciates the efforts of the Department of Education to ensure that Jewish students, and all students, have access to safe and secure learning environments and is committed to continuing to work with the Department to make sure this is a reality at all places of higher education.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.
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