Brown and 59 other universities could face “enforcement actions” if they fail to “protect Jewish students on campus,” according to a letter sent to the universities Monday. The letter was sent to all United States universities that “are under investigation or monitoring in response to complaints filed” with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights about alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Title VI prohibits federally funded institutions from discriminating on the basis of race, color and national origin, including Jewish ancestry.
University Spokesperson Brian Clark confirmed that “Brown is currently subject to ongoing monitoring following a voluntary resolution agreement with OCR to which the University agreed in July 2024.” While the University denied it violated Title VI at the time, the agreement required Brown to begin and expand nondiscrimination trainings, among other procedural measures.
“We have taken extensive action to enhance non-discrimination and anti-harassment measures, cultivate constructive dialogue on campus and sustain a caring and supportive community,” Clark wrote in an email to The Herald.
The Department of Education, alongside other federal agencies, recently launched investigations into five universities over allegations of antisemitism on their campuses. One of these universities, Columbia, was stripped of $400 million of federal funding Friday “due to the school’s continued inaction to protect Jewish students from discrimination,” according to the press release.
The investigating agencies said the cancellation was “the first round” of actions, promising more to come.
“Too many universities have tolerated widespread antisemitic harassment and the illegal encampments that paralyzed campus life last year, driving Jewish life and religious expression underground,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement announcing the letters.
Brown saw an April encampment calling for divestment from companies affiliated with Israel. At the time, Jewish students expressed mixed views on the demonstration. The Brown Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, later rejected the divestment proposal.
“Today, the department is putting universities, colleges and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses,” McMahon said.
“We remain committed to preventing discrimination and harassment based on shared ancestry, including antisemitism and islamophobia, in all of our activities,” Clark wrote.
Other peer institutions who received the letter include Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Cornell.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is also currently investigating the Warren Alpert Medical School for alleged antisemitic incidents that occurred during its May 2024 commencement ceremony. Brown’s medical school was one of four medical schools under the investigation.
This letter is one in a series of federal actions by the Trump administration that has jeopardized federal funding for higher education institutions.
Last month, the National Institutes of Health announced they would cut federal funding for research. This action would limit indirect costs, such as facility fees, electricity and other administrative costs, to 15%.
In response, Brown, along with 12 other universities and three higher education groups, filed a lawsuit against the decision, arguing that it violates the federal separation of powers. A federal judge extended a block on the cuts on March 5.
A week after the NIH announcement, the Department of Education also released a letter threatening to cut federal funding to Universities that do not eliminate race-conscious programs, including DEI, The Herald previously reported.
In response to funding threats, the University has canceled ongoing faculty searches, reduced PhD admissions targets and created contingency plans, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 explained in a community-wide letter on March 5.
Contingency plans could include staff layoffs and pulling back from the University’s investment in the planned William A. and Ami Kuan Danoff Life Sciences Laboratories.
Threats to federal funding have also influenced other institutions of higher education across the country, leading to hiring freezes and rescinded acceptances.
Cate Latimer is a university news editor covering faculty, University Hall and higher education. She is from Portland, OR, and studies English and Urban Studies. In her free time, you can find her playing ultimate frisbee or rewatching episodes of Parks and Rec.
