DOJ investigates antisemitism at Western Washington University

The US Department of Justice is investigating Western Washington University (WWU) over its response to antisemitic and anti-Israel harassment and discrimination reported on campus in the wake of the October 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel.

WWU received a formal notification from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division on March 14, informing university officials that the Educational Opportunities Section had opened an investigation into complaints about WWU’s handling of alleged discrimination based on religion and national origin.

The move came just four days after the DOJ announced it would be investigating 60 universities for potential violations of federal civil rights law in their handling of antisemitic incidents. The University of Washington is also under investigation.

The DOJ letter emphasized that no conclusions had been reached yet: “We have reached no conclusions regarding whether the University has violated any law at this time.”

In June, WWU received a follow-up letter requesting extensive documentation, including:
 

• Identification of officials responsible for addressing antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents, especially after the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks in Israel and the ensuing conflict.
• All relevant policies regarding antisemitism and anti-Israel discrimination.
• A spreadsheet of all complaints filed over the past three academic years alleging antisemitic or anti-Israel bias, including the responses, identities, and affiliations of all parties involved.
• All campus-wide communications related to the October 7 attacks, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and related protests or incidents.
• Any internal reviews, audits, or assessments of WWU’s handling of antisemitism or anti-Israel discrimination since the 2019–20 academic year.

The DOJ’s request also focuses on two specific incidents: one involving reports by a redacted individual, and another concerning antisemitic behavior in the Viking Student Union, particularly after October 7. One notable incident occurred on November 17, when pro Hamas activists attempted to storm a room being used by Jewish students affiliated with Hillel, a Jewish campus organization.

WWU spokesperson Jonathan Higgins told Cascadia Daily News that the university is fully cooperating with federal investigators. “WWU is committed to fostering a learning environment that is inclusive, respectful and free from discrimination or harassment of any kind,” Higgins said. “While the DOJ has made no determination at this time, we take all concerns about equity and student well-being seriously.”

WWU President Sabah Randhawa told the Board of Trustees on June 13 that the university is working with the Washington Attorney General’s office to gather and provide the requested information.

Last May, pro-Hamas activists erected a Gaza encampment on Old Main Lawn. Shortly afterward, reports of antisemitic incidents—including vandalism and physical assault—began to surface. One case under investigation involves a Jewish student who says they were spat on while wearing a Star of David near the encampment.

At the time, the student told the Bellingham Herald that the activists were “chanting in Arabic that the entire land is exclusively Arab land,” and yelling “shame” as he passed. “I didn’t realize the antisemitism was so prevalent until yesterday,” he said.

Encampment leaders issued a list of demands, including full divestment from companies doing business in Israel, academic programming on “decolonial” and “global liberation” topics, financial disclosure, and scholarships for students from Gaza. They also demand that WWU publicly denounce its past “harm” to Arab and Arab-American students and issue a statement condemning Israel.

Despite reports of antisemitic harassment, over 150 faculty members signed a letter supporting the encampment’s demands. Social media accounts linked to anti-Israel activism urged outside supporters—including individuals tied to the Gaza camp at the University of Washington—to join the protest at WWU.

Rabbi Avremi Yarmush, director of the Rohr Center for Jewish Life, told KOMO News that the university had failed to protect Jewish students: “I haven’t seen any real action that is being taken to promote safety for Jewish students,” he said. “It’s an allowance for students to say, ‘Hatred of Jews is not so bad. If it was a bad thing, the school would do something.'”

The encampment at WWU was eventually disbanded after President Randhawa caved to the demands of the radicals. Randhawa also issued a campus-wide statement acknowledging the “emotional harm” caused to Arab and Arab American students by his earlier communications on the Israel-Hamas conflict. In the same message, he said WWU supports “calls from around the world for an immediate ceasefire.” The university's concessions mirrored demands that the administration at the University of Washington acquiesced to with its Gaza camp leaders. In both cases, outside agitators reportedly helped bolster the encampments.