University officials and law enforcement leaders from the surrounding Pittsburgh area joined together on Jan. 14 to attend a training session on tackling anti-Semitism, hosted by the local district attorney’s office.
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office organized the training, “Combating Antisemitism,” in partnership with the StandWithUs Center for Combating Antisemitism.
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education co-sponsored the event with faculty from CMU and the University of Pittsburgh among the attendees.
The training was conducted in response to a “series of incidents on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus, resulting in multiple individuals being charged,” the DA’s office told Campus Reform. These events sparked discussions on how universities can recognize and address anti-Semitism.
“We’re very pleased with the response from our universities to further this conversation and stand against hate,” the DA’s Office said in a statement to Campus Reform. “We hope that those in attendance can start their own discussions and share their knowledge with peers, colleagues and throughout the student body.”
Carly Gammill, Executive Director of StandWithUs, explained to Campus Reform that “the training provides a deeper understanding of Jewish identity and emphasizes the importance of depoliticizing the shared ancestry component of that identity.”
“[W]e hope to see additional doors open for us to provide this crucial education,” StandWithUs Regional Director Julie Paris told Campus Reform.
Just last month, a judge decided to allow a lawsuit filed by a student against CMU to proceed. The student’s suit claims that the university’s actions toward her, as a Jewish and Israeli individual, were discriminatory, citing a professor’s anti-Semitic comments, and being emailed a link to a “violently antisemitic blog.”
In September, an individual was accused of physically attacking two Jewish students wearing yarmulkes with a bottle while walking on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus. The suspect was arrested at the scene.
Campus Reform has contacted the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, StandWithUs, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Pittsburgh for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
