On March 10, 2025, UMass Amherst received a letter from the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reminding the university of its legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The letter, sent to 60 universities with active Title VI investigations alleging “antisemitic harassment and discrimination,” directs universities to “take all lawful and appropriate measures to protect Jewish students, faculty, and staff from the predations of antisemitic antagonists, whether in the classroom, on campus, or within educational programs and activities.”

In February of last year, UMass Amherst was notified by the United States Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights that an investigation was opened in reference to a complaint alleging “that the University discriminated against students on the basis of their national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) when it failed to respond appropriately to incidents of harassment during October and November 2023.” The university has not seen the complaint but is aware of a report stating that it was filed by the editor-in-chief of Campus Reform, an outside organization unaffiliated with the university.

Importantly, The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is obligated to evaluate every complaint it receives; “Opening a complaint for investigation,” OCR writes, “in no way implies that OCR has made a determination with regard to the merits of the complaint.”

By policy, action, and aligned with its values of maintaining an inclusive, respectful learning, teaching and working environment, The University of Massachusetts Amherst does not tolerate discrimination based on national origin under its Affirmative Action, Non-Discrimination, and Title IX Non-Discrimination Policy. 

The university condemns hatred, including antisemitism, in all forms. The University of Massachusetts Amherst will continue to cooperate fully with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

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