The House Committee on Education and the Workforce published findings from an investigation into antisemitism on college campuses Thursday, accusing GW of failing to sufficiently discipline pro-Palestinian protesters who violated University policies.
The Republican-led committee report lists 73 incidents on campus between Oct. 7, 2023, and May 9, 2024 — including the pro-Palestinian encampment in University Yard, anti-Israel projections onto Gelman Library and the removal of posters of Israeli hostages from the GW Hillel building — as examples of antisemitism, Islamophobia and misconduct, and details how officials responded to them. The 325-page report documents similar disciplinary proceedings at 10 other universities, accusing administrators of a “stunning lack of accountability” for students who trespassed, damaged property, violated University policies and exhibited antisemitism.
“At every school investigated by the Committee, the overwhelming majority of students facing disciplinary action for antisemitic harassment or other violations of policy received only minimal discipline,” the report states.
The report states University leaders turned their backs on their campuses’ Jewish communities and intentionally withheld support in a “time of need.” The report says officials have a responsibility as a federally funded university under Title VI to address “hostile environments” based on race or national origin, but says leaders failed to support Jewish communities on campus when needed.
The chart of incidents at GW includes 73 reports issued to the Division for Student Affairs or the GW Police Department for alleged violations of University policy relating to antisemitism and Islamophobia. Each entry includes a description of the incident, the number of people accused, the charges and the outcomes after the University completed investigations. The committee report does not include the names or other identifying information about individuals involved with the 73 reports.
Officials suspended one student, placed 16 students on disciplinary probation, censured three students and issued warnings to three students for misconduct related to the war in Gaza between Oct. 7, 2023 and May 9, the report states. The report focuses in on four incidents on campus: officials’ responses to conduct violations during the pro-Palestinian encampment, Students for Justice in Palestine’s October projections onto Gelman Library, an April pro-Palestinian protest near and inside of the Elliott School and a student tearing down Israeli hostage posters last November.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman — a lobbying firm GW hired in May to assist with “higher education issues” — submitted a letter to the committee on behalf of GW on Oct. 11, after the committee requested further information on GW’s plans to protect its students this academic year on Sept. 30. The letter included GW’s disciplinary records for 73 incidents, which the University creates but does not publicize for students accused of violating the Code of Academic Integrity or Code of Student Conduct. The University does not make students’ administrative, academic integrity conduct and behavioral conduct records publicly available online, though they retain the right to disclose records with the consent of the student or without consent “in limited circumstances,” according to GW’s records requests and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act policies.
University spokesperson Shannon McClendon said Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman worked in coordination with the GW’s Office of the General Counsel and other personnel from a “variety of offices” to provide guidance on government and regulatory matters, adding that officials continue to utilize Pillsbury’s services on an “as-needed basis.” GW paid the firm $90,000 between May 9 and June 30, and an additional $30,000 between July 1 and Sept. 30.
McClendon said officials did not share personal identifying information with the committee in order to protect students’ privacy and to comply with FERPA. She said “relevant” University offices were asked to submit and review “responsive information” during the preparation of their report, but declined to say which specific offices were involved.
“Before the report was submitted, the University conducted a careful review to ensure FERPA compliance,” McClendon said.
A spokesperson for Columbia University, one of the eleven schools documented in the report, said officials did not consent to the committee publicizing confidential documents and committee members gave them one day’s notice before releasing the report, the Columbia Spectator reported Sunday.
McClendon said officials have “devoted additional significant time and resources” over the last year to meet community needs during “challenging times” on campus and will continue to educate the community about antisemitism and Islamophobia while working to maintain a safe environment for all students to freely express themselves and their religious beliefs.
McClendon said GW maintains “clear policies” for campus demonstrations and protests, which are enforced fairly and in an “impartial and thorough” manner.
“Students and organizations that were found to have violated University policies during protests last semester have been held accountable through the Student Code of Conduct process,” McClendon said in an email.
House Education Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) condemned GW and D.C.’s handling of the two-week-long pro-Palestinian encampment in U-Yard last spring, demanding information from city officials on why local police reportedly refused to clear the encampment. The House Committee then called D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith to testify about the protests, with members holding an impromptu press conference outside the encampment to pressure officials days before, but the MPD officers cleared the encampment and arrested protesters six days later and the committee canceled the hearing.
Here is a breakdown of the report’s accusations of antisemitism on campus:
Pro-Palestinian encampment last spring
Officials charged 22 students with disciplinary violations for their involvement in the encampment, suspending one student for one semester, placing seven on disciplinary probation for one year, three on disciplinary probation for one semester and two on probation for the “remainder of their time at GW,” according to the report. GW also censured three students, found two “not responsible” for student conduct violations and has open or delayed cases for four students.
The report cites 18 incidents of antisemitism, harassment and intimidation during the pro-Palestinian encampment. 13 of the reports resulted in no disciplinary action because the University was unable to identify the responsible party, found the accused individuals not responsible, the process was rescinded, allegations would not have violated GW policy or the person wasn’t found to be a GW affiliate. Officials were unable to identify the responsible party for nine of the 18 incidents reported during the encampment.
For an April 29 report of people targeting Jewish students in the encampment, conduct proceedings are still ongoing for one student, and the other accused person was found to not be a GW affiliate. A student was found guilty of drug violations, access without authorization and non-compliance, receiving disciplinary probation for two semesters after a May 9 report of the University finding marijuana in University Yard after MPD cleared the encampment.
The last report from the encampment is from May 9, the day officials cleared the protest, for a second protest on F Street involving 10 respondents, including one student and nine student organizations. The report says the student was found not responsible for all charges, and the incident was “combined with others” for the nine student organizations.
The report references a May 5 statement sent by University President Ellen Granberg to community members that states protesters intimidated students with “antisemitic images and hateful rhetoric,” vandalized a University statue and flag, chased people out of U-Yard for their religious beliefs and overran barricades that officials enacted to “protect the community,” per the report.
Students hoisted a large Palestinian flag onto the Lisner Hall flagpole at the encampment and dressed U-Yard’s George Washington statue in a keffiyeh. Signs were also posted at the encampment reading “Students will leave when Israelis leave,” and “Students will go back home when Israelis go back to Europe, US, etc (their real homes).”
The report also cites the “People’s Tribunal” that pro-Palestinian protesters held to condemn GW officials including Granberg, Provost Chris Bracey, the Board of Trustees and GWPD as one of the “numerous incidents of antisemitic harassment and intimidation” at the encampment. Protesters at the tribunal called for officials to be taken to the “guillotine” and the “gallows” in reference to Bracey.
Officials also listed a report of “Palestinian flag, Genocide Joe, and other activities in the encampment,” involving nine students, which officials adjudicated and addressed in a case they said was related to the encampment. Protesters projected President Joe Biden’s face onto a large American flag that officials hung off the roof of Lisner Hall above the words “Genocide Joe.”
MPD cleared the encampment in May after almost 14 days, arresting 33 pro-Palestinian protesters. A University spokesperson in May said MPD arrested six GW students. Representatives from The DMV Students for Justice in Palestine Coalition claimed GW arrested eight students, and The Hatchet identified eight GW students from arrest records.
“The lack of suspensions comes despite the fact that six GWU students were among the 33 individuals arrested at the encampment after it was cleared by D.C. Police,” the report states.
Students’ Palestinian flag hanging at Thomas-Greenfield event
The report states that two students received disciplinary probation after protesters in April hung a giant Palestinian flag from the roof of 1959 E Street, the residence hall next to the Elliott School. Protesters dropped the flag during their protest of U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s presence at a GW-affiliated event. The ambassador vetoed three U.N. Security Council resolutions in support of a ceasefire in Gaza between last October and February due to concerns that a pause would allow Hamas to regroup and jeopardize hostage negotiations.
The initial report cited 10 student organizations as respondents, but officials deemed them not responsible for the incident. One of the two students found responsible received a one-year disciplinary probation and the other student received a one-semester disciplinary probation, the report states. The first student’s one-year disciplinary probation was also punishment for conduct violations from a separate incident, the report adds.
A student tears down posters of Israeli hostages in GW Hillel building
Officials placed a student on disciplinary probation after they entered the GW Hillel building last November and tore down more than a dozen posters of Israeli hostages, according to the report. Officials originally placed the student on interim suspension, pending the “completion of GW’s student conduct process,” according to statement shared with The Hatchet at the time, but the student ultimately received disciplinary probation after GW found the student responsible for access without authorization, discriminatory harassment, misconduct related to property and theft, the report states.
Students for Justice in Palestine’s anti-Israel projections on Gelman Library
The report states that officials placed “only a single student” on disciplinary probation after student demonstrators from Students for Justice in Palestine at GWU projected messages criticizing Israel, GW and University President Ellen Granberg onto Gelman Library last October, “despite” a video that revealed four students’ involvement. The report also includes that GW suspended SJP from hosting and participating in on-campus activities for at least 90 days following the group’s anti-Israel and anti-GW projections.
Other reported incidents
Of the 73 total reported events of threatening behavior toward Jewish and Arab students, GW did not charge students for 47 events, according to the internal information officials shared with the committee. They stated their reasoning for not doing so as the behavior didn’t violate GW policy, the reporting party declined to follow up relating to the request or officials were unable to identify the responsible party.
Officials didn’t take action on 13 of the 47 reports that did not result in student charges because the alleged behavior would not have constituted a violation of GW policy regardless of if the allegations were true. GW didn’t bring any charges to six of the 47 reports because the reporting party declined to follow up on the request. And for 28 of 47 reports that did not result in charges, officials didn’t bring any charges forth because they were unable to identify the responsible party.
Some of these reports include that a student was asked to identify their Judaism during an “unwanted interaction” in December and an online disagreement related to Israel’s war in Gaza later that month.
Officials found the respondents involved in 11 of the 73 incidents responsible, according to the report. Some of these incidents include a student’s erasure of “pro-Israel and pro-peace” writing, where the respondent received a warning and was completed a reflection assignment. Other incidents include the Gelman Library projections, the removal of the posters from Hillel building, the throwing of a rock at a doxxing truck on campus last November, the flag drop and the encampment.
Two students received disciplinary probation for the projections, one student faced sanctions like access limitations, disciplinary probation and limitation of privileges for removing posters from the Hillel building, one student received disciplinary probation for throwing a rock at the doxxing truck and two students received probation for the flag drop. As a result of the encampment, officials suspended one student, placed 12 on disciplinary probation and censured three students.
