Oh wow support cspan is a Public Service along these other levision providers. Giving you a front row seat to democracy. Testimony from the president of northwestern, rutgers and ucla on the rise of antisemitism on campus. While agreeing the problem is more prevalent nationwide, they push back on accusations that universities condone antisemitism and hate. From the house education and the Workforce Committee this hearing is just over three hours 15 minutes. [background noises] good morning. Committee on Education Workforce will come to order i note a quorum is present without objection the chair is authorized to call a racist at any time. [inaudible] i want the door shut. It is too noisy. Okay. Ernest hemingways novel the sun also rises, two characters are discussing bankruptcy. How did you go bankrupt asked bill . Two ways michael responds gradually then suddenly. Note three words better apply to the decline of post secondary iy education that has transpired gradually then suddenly to todays hearing over the course of years, decades even gradually nurtures the culture of radicalism in which auntie says and when grew and became tolerated by the administrators. The committee has been steadfast in its dedication attacking the roots of anti somatic hatred. Including anti israel dei bureaucracies and questionable foreign funding. Then suddenly, over the course of weeks, days even universities and burst into antisemitic chaos. October 7 ignited a powder keg of pro chair campus a fervor. A shocking spectacle for the american public. Suddenly, the radicalized zealots found a cause and group they could grasp their hate onto. Somehow juice it fit neatly into de eyes of prescient ritual. Justifying antisemitism. The following october 7, radicalized students have harassed, assaulted and intimidated their jewish peers. These antisemitic protests have let hijacking buildings, erecting unlawful encampments, disrupting classrooms, canceling commencement said. They have been the principal agent of anti jewish harassment and violence and it made an absolute mockery of socalled University Leaders. That is why the committee has yet again calling for accountability from those in charge of universities. Today, with michael of Northwestern University doctor gina block of ucla and doctor holloway of Rutgers University. Each of you should be ashamed of your decision select antisemitic encampments to endangered jewish students. Doctor holloway you should be doubly ashamed for capitulating the antisemitic rule breakers. Our job todays first and foremost to hold those who are supposed to be in charge to accounts. Doctor gina block, you will testify to the horrific events that unfolded at ucla leading to 243 arrests. You cleared the encampment only after a violent riot erupted. For days you stood by while jews were assaulted at legal checkpoints blocked access to campus in broad daylight. Your actions were too little too late. Second the committee will highlight the concessions universities doled out to rule breakers. Doctor holloway you accepted eight of the 10 encampment demands including an egregious amnesty deal to rutgers students and faculty involved in the encampment. I would like to know what sort of a message you think that sends to your jewish students . You cut a disgraceful deal with the encampment that prompted seven jewish members of your own Antisemitism Advisory Committee to resign in protest. You and president holloway struck deals that guaranteed jobs at admissions to palestinians apparent violation of federal antidiscrimination law. I would like to know how you think york comply with the Civil Rights Act . Those who were in charge of universities who negotiate with pro terror protesters are not doing their jobs. Taxpayer dollars have no business fighting universities without principles that align with the principles of our country for each of you refused to enforce your own rules, preserve Campus Safety and protect jewish students. Finally, i want to make one thing clear the purpose of these hearings is not to enact right wing cancel culture as purported by the left. The purpose is to end antisemitic violence and harassment on campus. Hearings with president s are meant to help guide Postsecondary Education policies Going Forward. That meets the needs respect the rights of all students. We will certainly keep your answers to our questions in mind as the committee conducts further business. With that i yield to the Ranking Member. Think you met them cherry thinker witness of for appearing today. There is no question that we could do more to combat antisemitism not just on College Campuses but everywhere. No one should be threatened, harassed or attacked because of who they are, who they worship. Moreover students cannot learn if they feel unsafe. Here we are for the fifth time in six month holding another hearing to complain about the problem of antisemitism but no work is been done to find a meaningful solution to address animus on College Campuses. Certainly riles people up, it generates a lot of Media Coverage but does not solve anything. To the best of my knowledge only changes has resulted from these hearings is a handful of individuals have lost their jobs, schools have had to dedicate hours they couldve spent working to combat discrimination on campus instead of responding to legal requests of law firms advising College President s who made a lot of money preparing their clients to testify in these hearings. In 2017 after White Supremacy march the grounds of the university of virginia, chanting slogans such as jews will not replace as i wrote a letter to my republican colleagues asking for a hearing to discuss why the intentions and discrimination on College Campuses. Regrettably the committee did not hold any such hearings and we did not address the issue at the time. Jewish students in fact all students have a right to attend college and freed from hostility and in compliance with title vi of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There is no excuse for antisemitism on campus and everyone is entitled to a safe harbor. This is why we should ensure the department of Education Office of civil rights has the resources it needs to investigate where campuses are failing to protect against insight somatic acts or otherwise not protecting against civil rights violations. I believe we should increase funding for that office in light of the increased number of complaints. Last year at my republican colleagues called for 25 cut in funding for that office this would have been a significant impediment for the office of the department of educations efforts to investigate these issues. Meanwhile dei programs try to bring people together being disparaged and eliminated. As ive said before hateful incidents at antisemitism do not happen in isolation their byproduct of the century long history of White Supremacy and antisemitism. We cannot beat supply it hate speech on College Campuses i will note again campuses are polarized as is our society. We have unfortunately seen a rise in incidents not only of antisemitism but also islam a phobia, racism, homophobia and other forms of hate. All of which need to be addressed. Mr. Lawrences nose in his testimony today colleges and universities exist to examine complex issues, challenges and ideas to provide a forum in which issues and opinions can be explored and can be debated. Freedom of inquiry and expression must include the right to protest. He also notes the limits of this expression are reach when actual threats or undue disruption of the University Operations are involved. Advocating for violence or harassment or disruption of the University Operations. But students have the right to peacefully protest and express their opinions regardless of whether or not those opinions are politically unpopular or morally abhorrent. In public colleges and universities, two of which are hit with us here jack first met protects the popular and agreeable speech and speech people couldnt reasonably disagree with including the sometimes hateful words. Again painting with a broader brush the majority has attempted to remove any distinction between hate speech and genuine political processor like to remind everyone the Civil Rights Movement i have years of past has opinion rather than waiting for change. Today 81 of americans report a favorable opinion of doctor Martin Luther king jr. 1966 Gallup Survey newly two thirds added unfavorable opinion of doctor king. Two years later after the aftermath of foot one third of americans felt he brought it on himself. In closing his members of congress of responsibility to hold ourselves to a higher standard be role models for our communities. By fueling culture wars which i believe these have done setting an example for others to feed into and continue to escalate the tensions on College Campuses to that end our students deserve more from us. They deserve thoughtful and deliberate conversation about the constitutional questions before us. That can lead to meaningful change i hope my colleagues will rise to that challenge. Thank you madam turner yelled back. Quick thinking mr. Scott. Pursuant to committees rule eights the all who wish to have statement in the record may do so by getting them to the Committee Clerk electronically and microsoft word format by 5 00 p. M. 14 days after the date of this hearing. Which is june 6, 2024 per without objection hearing record will remain open for 14 days to allow such statements and extraneous material referenced during the hearing be submitted for the official hearing record. I now turn to the introduction of our witnesses and it recognized to introduce the first witness. Thank you madam chair. Michael schill is the 17th present he also serves as a professor of law at the Northwestern School of law and professor of finance and real estate and the Kellogg School of management. He previously spent seven years as a present of my alma mater, the university of oregon. He has also served deena professor of the law schools of university of chicago and ucla has also held tenured faculty positions at New York University and the university of pennsylvania. President schill found nyu firm center for real estate and urban policies which has become one of the nations leading Research Centers on housing. Welcome to the Committee President schill. Our second witnesses doctor Jonathan Holloway who is the president of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, new jersey. Our next witness mr. Fredrick lawrenceth secretary and ceo of the Phi Beta Kappa society located in washington d. C. Doctor gina block who is the chancellor in california. We thank you for being here thtoday and look forward to your testimony. I will remind the witnesses we have read your written statements which will appear in full in the hearing record pursuant to Committee Rule 8d Committee Practice i ask you each limit your oral presentation to a five minute summary of your written statement. I also remind the witnesses to be aware of the responsibility to provide Accurate Information to the committee. I will first recognize president schill for five minutes. Thank you chairman fox, Ranking Member scott and members of the committee. Thank you representative for that kind introduction. I agree with the committee that antisemitism is rising on College Campuses including our own. This it committee is also a right to be shining a light on these subjects for the American People. Andag that antisemitism on campus, our Guiding Principles of Community Safety and Academic Freedom. The encampment it self and our plans moving forward. First, our universities are on the front lines of the disturbing the spike in antisemitism that accelerated following hamas horrific terrorist attack on october 7. Across the country, the opener harassment and intimidation of jewish people on the streets than social media has also infected our classrooms and our campuses. As a descendent and survivors raising antisemitism in thean world affects and alarms me personally. I lost relatives in the holocaust. It is not abstract to meet the worlds population is not recovered to where it was before world war ii. The fact that israel is a tcherished homeland is not theoretical to me. It is were family members who survived the war found refuge. My familys history is a constant reminder to me of what can happen when antisemitism is allowed to take root. Where there is conduct that threatens the northwestern community, we must impose a discipline and have done so. Yet, i will be the first to admit our existing rules and policies are falling short. We must improve our processes to meet the current challenge. My direction we will be working over the summer to update our student conductt code. These new policies will be in place before students return to campus. We are confident we can continue to promote two principles at the core of our mission. Free expression and academic thfreedom while disciplining harassment and intimidation. I want to take a moment to address the encampment at northwestern and the choices that wees made. On the morning of april 25 in encampment was erected on dearing meadow and iconic gathering space atip the centerf our campus. As i watched what was unfolding and that encampment across the country, i believe the danger imposed grew every day it stayed out. Every day brought new reports of intimidation and harassment. Ander then on april 28 the day before the tent came down the threat of confrontation escalated with the edition of outsiders to the university. For the safety of our entire community i knew i had to act. We had three options to do so. The first option was letting the tent stay up indefinitely. We never seriously consider this option. They were a threat to our community. They were breaking our rules there is antisemitic behavior that was making our jewish students feel unsafe. I knew we had to take down the encampment get it down quickly and permanently. Second, sending in a Student Affairsst officers and Northwestern Police department to make arrests, that was the second option. This option ended up posing too high a risk to our students, staff and Police Officers. They were limited Law EnforcementResources Available to the University Hit also created as we saw around the country escalation, renewed encampments. Finally, talking with the students about leaving voluntarily. This is the path we took the encampment came down to just five days. We did not give into any of the protesters demand. The commitmentsts we made our consistent with our values importantly i reject student demand for divestment will not ever recommend northwestern use its resources for political purposes. By engaging students with dialogue instead of force we model the behavior we want to apply Going Forward. Now Going Forward i want to make everyone of youou know i am personally committed to fighting antisemitism. Wes are going to reconstitute a task force that will benefit from the information from other taskforces. D. We will revise our student co. We will enhance enforcement. We will increase our security we will do what we do best, teaching our students about the dangers of antisemitism. I like to thank you all for listening and i look forward to your questions. Thank you. Not recognize president holloway for five minutes. Chairwoman fox, Ranking Member scott, members of the committee. Thank you for this opportunity my name is jonathan hollow in the present of Rutgers University the State University of new jersey. Job you understand me better i offer the following. My maternal grandfather was an early organizer of the colored ymca in atlanta served as president of Livingston College in North Carolina. His son, my grandfather was dean of education at Bennett College in greensboro, North Carolina before becoming the founding executive director of the United Negro College fund. [inaudible] quick short may start the paragraph of the beginning . Cliques were left off. Even closer okay. My grandfather dean of education at Bennett College in greens, North Carolina before becoming the founding