University of Tennessee among institutions under investigation for Antisemitic discrimination and harassment

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Big Orange is currently under a big warning by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to protect Jewish students on its campus.

The office sent letters to 60 universities Monday warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus.

The University of Tennessee gave the following details related to its Title VI investigation.

“An individual student filed a Title VI complaint in 2023 based on an unrelated set of events that they witnessed and or heard about. The student engaged with a variety of university offices in 2023, and the offices worked to support that student,” said Kerry Gardner, Director of Media and Internal Relations at the university. “The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights reached out with a request for information about the student’s concerns in 2024. The university has cooperated fully with the Office for Civil Rights.”

UT said it takes its responsibility to maintain an environment free of illegal discrimination very seriously.

“Any time we are made aware of any issue, we provide support and resources to any potentially impacted students, and also inform them about their right to file a complaint either with a campus office or OCR, as appropriate,” Gardner said.

Ohio State University, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina, Tulane University and Six Ivy League Institutions were also among the universities that received letters from the Office for Civil Rights.

“The department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year. University leaders must do better,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to “combat antisemitism” and called for using “all available legal tools to prosecute, remove, or hold those responsible for antisemitic harassment and violence accountable.”

As an additional measure to combat antisemitism, the U.S. Justice Department announced in February the formation of a multi-agency Task Force aimed at “rooting out” antisemitic harassment in schools and on college campuses.