Sarah Lawrence under fire: Federal probe into anti-semitism allegations 

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has initiated a Title VI investigation into Sarah Lawrence College following a formal complaint by the campus Hillel chapter. The complaint alleges the college fostered a hostile environment for Jewish students and failed to respond adequately to incidents of harassment after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.

Hillels of Westchester, representing Jewish students at the private liberal arts college in Westchester, New York, filed the complaint in March 2024. It alleges the college neglected to address harassment targeting Jewish students, exacerbating tensions on campus.

In a letter dated December 23, 2024, viewed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the Office of Civil Rights confirmed it would investigate “whether the College failed to respond to alleged harassment of students on the basis of national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) in a manner consistent with the requirements of Title VI.”

Rachel Klein, executive director of Hillels of Westchester, expressed hope that the investigation would lead to a positive cultural change at Sarah Lawrence College. She criticized the college for not involving Hillel in efforts to address antisemitism and called for a more proactive approach.

In response, a college representative stated, “We are in the process of reviewing OCR’s request for data in connection with its investigation, and the College remains committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful campus community.” They also clarified that they consider Hillels of Westchester an external organization not affiliated with the college.

While the Department of Education has received numerous Title VI complaints related to antisemitism on U.S. campuses following the October 7 attacks, it is unusual for such complaints to originate directly from a Hillel chapter rather than students or external Jewish organizations.

* Arutz 7 contributed to this article.