Emory University is under investigation for anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim harassment after two groups filed a federal civil rights complaint on April 5.
On behalf of Emory Students for Justice in Palestine (ESJP), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Georgia) and Palestine Legal demanded that the U.S. Department of Education investigate the “hostile” environment at Emory.
According to CAIR Georgia, Emory students have been followed and filmed on campus, have been called “terrorists,” “fake Muslims,” and have been sent graphic photos. They have had their flyers, noting the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, ripped out or thrown in the trash. ESJP students have also been individually targeted and doxed on social media and harassed on campus.
Emory University Spokesperson Laura Diamond said the university has received the complaint from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, and will respond. “We are unable to discuss an open investigation,” Diamond added.
Last week, CAIR-Georgia held a press conference at Emory demanding the university disclose and divest its ties to Israel, The Emory Wheel reported.
Azka Mahmood, CAIR Georgia executive director, released a statement about the investigation. She claims students “have been made to suffer an unsafe and unwelcome learning environment without recourse despite asking [Emory} for help multiple times.”
“The opening of this investigation by the OCR is a welcome step and one we hope leads to answers about the failures of Emory University to address anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian activity since October last year, despite several bias reports and a letter from civil rights organizations,” Mahmood said.
She said CAIR Georgia hopes the investigation will compel Emory administration to address the harassment and systemic discrimination faced by Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students.
ESJP has been vocal online and on campus, asking the university to disclose financial investments, divest from Israel, boycott research, internships or academic programs that collaborate with Israeli institutions, and publicly call for a ceasefire.
Israel-Hamas War protesters have occupied campus on and off since April 25. Emory commencement ceremonies have been relocated to Gas South Arena in Gwinnett County.
Undergraduate students this week are also taking a no-confidence vote on the leadership of Emory President Gregory Fenves after he summoned additional law enforcement to campus on April 25, which led to 28 arrests.
