Education Department Reveals Measures to Combat Antisemitism and Islamophobia

With college campuses embroiled in rallies sparked by Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists, the Biden administration unveiled Tuesday resources to help protect Jewish and Arab students.

The Department of Education announced new efforts aimed at ensuring schools and college campuses have the tools to keep students safe from discrimination and harassment.

“Hate has no place in our school classrooms or on our college campuses. Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hate are antithetical to who we are as Americans,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a news release.

The Anti-Defamation League reported 312 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. between Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists massacred more than 1,400 Israelis and Israel declared war, and Oct. 23. At the same time last year, there were 64 reported incidents, a 388% increase.

Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Budd of North Carolina, and Marco Rubio of Florida sent a letter Nov. 8 to Cardona about his department’s plans to protect Jewish students.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported Nov. 9 there were 1,283 requests for help and reports of bias from Oct. 7 to Nov. 4, a 216% increase from 2022, when in an average 29-day period, CAIR said it received 406 complaints.

The Education Department said it will share funds from a bipartisan gun law in 2022 that provided $1 billion to school districts to help strengthen school safety efforts. It also this week will be holding “listening sessions” with preschool through high school leaders to gain insight on how some schools are keeping students safe. And on Dec. 6, the department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education will launch a webinar series for preschool through high school personnel and community-based organizations “to develop, strengthen, and share evidence-informed strategies that help schools prevent and respond to hate-based threats, bullying, and harassment.”

Also, the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will share effective strategies for school and campus communities to be more inclusive of Jewish, Muslim, and other religious identities, such as multifaith student groups, afterschool programs, or school-based efforts aimed at fostering cross-community cooperation.

“The Biden-Harris Administration and this department are working tirelessly to uphold the civil rights of students of all backgrounds,” Cardona said. “… All students have the right to learn in safe and inclusive educational environments.”

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