At her confirmation hearing for assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon condemned anti-Semitism and said that discrimination on the basis of religion would be an “appropriate target for the civil rights division.”
During the Feb. 26 hearing, Senator Chuck Grassley asked Dhillon a question about federal funding that goes to universities that discriminate on the basis of race. Dhillon responded by strongly condemning anti-Semitism at universities throughout the country.
“Senator, we have a problem throughout the United States, not just on the basis of race throughout the United States but also on the basis of religion,” Dhillon began. “We’ve seen anti-Semitism sweep the nation, and it is very problematic that many people of the Jewish faith are barred by professors and fellow students from access to the classroom.”
“So, yes, in addition to race, I would see religious discrimination and other forms of discrimination on campus as an appropriate target for the Civil Rights Division,” Dhillon concluded.
Later in the hearing, Dhillon was asked by Senator Josh Hawley about whether she would “vigorously” enforce Title VI violations by anti-Israel students, to which Dhillon immediately responded that she would.
“Let me ask you about anti-Semitism on America’s campuses,” said Hawley during the hearing. “Will you commit to vigorously enforcing Title VI violations related to anti-Semitism to make sure we root out this scourge on America’s campuses?”
“Absolutely, Senator, I would certainly commit to that,” Dhillon replied.
In a recent study, a large portion of Jewish students reported experiencing instances of anti-Semitism on their campuses in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks against Israel.
The “State of Antisemitism in America 2024” report, published by the American Jewish Committee and Hillel International, found that a third of Jewish students have experienced a professor has “promoted antisemitism” or “fueled a learning environment that is hostile to Jews.”
Campus Reform has contacted the U.S. Department of Justice for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
