Colleges throughout the United States have launched federal investigations with the Department of Education (DOE) since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7. The schools with investigations include Cornell University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Lafayette College, Wellesley College and Harvard University.
The pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli debates across these schools have transformed into reports of physical alterations between students, instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia and deactivation of student groups.
The investigations were launched under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which allows universities and K-12 schools to provide all students with an environment free from discrimination.
The DOE updated their discrimination complaint form that includes Title VI’s protection from discrimination based on race, color or national origin now extends to students who are Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh or other ethnic and religious characteristics.
“Hate has no place in our schools, period. When students are targeted because they are—or are perceived to be—Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must act to ensure safe and inclusive educational environments where everyone is free to learn,” the DOE secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement from the DOE.
At the University of New Haven, there are over 200 Recognized Student Organizations (RSO), including the Muslim Student Association (MSA). This organization is led by Youssef Ossama, MSA president and senior marketing major.
Ossama said the goal of MSA is to “build community within the Muslim community here on campus as well as non-Muslims…spread the positive side of Islam to the campus community.”
The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has led to MSA holding silent protests, raising awareness and money for civilians affected by the war.
When asked about the war, Ossama said, “As MSA president, I completely support Palestinian civilians as well as Israeli civilians, both of them, and I don’t like seeing anyone being put in the situations that these people are being put into, it brings me to tears. Whether they’re Muslim, Christian, Jewish.” Ossama also said, “it doesn’t matter where they come from, what the color of the skin is. At the end of the day I can hold a government accountable at the same time just because I support the people does not mean I support the government.”
MSA has experienced their own discrimination on campus, relating to flyers they put up around campus last month. Ossama said, “Someone vandalized the flyers; the flyers were written all over. They removed the word ‘Palestinian’ and wrote ‘we stand with Israel’ instead of ‘we stand with Palestine.’ They put the Star of David all over the flyer.”
“This was brought to the Dean of Students Office as a formal report. We’ve talked to them in person as well as sent them pictures of the said vandalized posters. It’s been two weeks since the last time we’ve sent them flyers and there has been no action taken whatsoever and no investigation to see who did it,” Ossama said.
On Nov. 30, MSA released three demands on their Instagram page for administration to help support their organization and provide members of MSA with support.
The first ask is an “accountability for vandalism, we request that the University of New Haven administration take swift action and holding accountable the students responsible for the vandalism of our approved flyers in support of the Palestinian people during these difficult times.”
The second ask is “either the addition of the Palestinian flag or removing the Israeli flag from the Bartels dining hall” in compliance with the university’s stance of neutrality.
The third ask is “to hire a chaplain for Muslim students. Additionally, we advocate for appointing chaplains representing respective faiths to support and guide students from various religious backgrounds.”
Not only are these demands important to Ossama and MSA members, Ossama has one last ask for administration: “Just supporting students,” Ossama said.
“If someone like President Z showed up to a meeting it would show a lot of support and show that as the President, he stands with us as RSOs. At the end of the day, we are students, we are not like getting paid to lead these RSOs. We’re students like everyone else, it would just feel good,” Ossama said.