Temple University is now the latest Philadelphia-area school to be added to a federal probe of alleged discrimination on college campuses across the nation.
In November of last year, the federal government opened civil rights investigations into multiple schools and universities over allegations of antisemitism or Islamophobia since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) said the probe is part of the Biden administration’s effort to take “aggressive action” against discrimination under Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.
Schools found to have violated civil rights law can face penalties up to a total loss of federal money, although the vast majority of cases end in voluntary settlements.
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Discrimination on campus
On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the DOE added Temple University to their list of schools under investigation, as first reported by NBC10’s newsgathering partner KYW Newsradio.
“Temple University unequivocally condemns hate and discrimination against any person and will always strive to ensure that all of our students, faculty, and staff feel welcomed and safe in our community and throughout our campus,” a Temple spokesperson wrote on Wednesday in response to the investigation.
“We are aware of the Department of Education complaint and intend on fully complying, providing the department with robust information on how we are supporting our community through these challenging times. As this situation evolves, the university will continue to adapt, ensuring that all members of this community have access to the support and resources that they need.”
Officials have not released specific details on the investigation. KYW Newsradio reported that the investigation at Temple centered around an alleged failure to protect Jewish students on campus.
Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was also added to the Department of Education’s list on Tuesday.
"Muhlenberg College will cooperate fully with OCR’s investigation. We do not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia or any other form of harassment, bigotry or abuse nor any incitement to violence or calls for genocide," a Muhlenberg spokesperson wrote. "If/when there are accusations of conduct violations, these are thoroughly investigated with appropriate actions taken based on the findings."
