An investigation by the U.S. Education Department revealed that the University of Michigan did not adequately assess whether protests and incidents related to the Israel-Hamas war created a hostile environment on campus. The Office of Civil Rights investigated 75 cases of alleged discrimination and harassment based on shared Jewish, Palestinian, or Muslim ancestry, finding that the university's responses did not meet Title VI requirements to address the hostile environment.
Instances included a Jewish student being called out for viewing a pro-Palestinian social media post and another student participating in a pro-Palestinian protest being labeled a “terrorist.” The university's actions, such as suggesting informal conflict resolution and holding restorative circles, were deemed insufficient.
