Jewish students at George Washington University say they were threatened, harassed, and forced to flee campus spaces last spring. Now, the U.S. Department of Justice agrees — concluding that the university failed to act on reports of antisemitic abuse in what the government calls a “deliberate indifference” to civil rights violations.
In an August 12, 2025 letter addressed to GWU President Ellen Granberg, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division detailed the findings of its investigation, which concluded that the university violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to respond adequately to antisemitic harassment and intimidation during a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on campus in April and May 2024.
The letter outlines specific incidents of Jewish students being verbally abused, surrounded, and told to leave areas of campus for their own safety, including by university officials and police, after being confronted by protesters. The DOJ is now offering the university the opportunity to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement to remedy the alleged violations or face potential enforcement action.
The allegations center around a protest encampment that occupied University Yard, a central outdoor space on the GWU campus, beginning April 25, 2024, and continuing into final exams and graduation season. According to the DOJ, multiple Jewish students reported being surrounded and harassed by demonstrators when attempting to pass through or near the encampment. In one case, a student was told by GWU’s Assistant Dean of Students that his presence was “antagonizing” protesters and was ordered to leave. In another, protesters linked arms to physically restrict a Jewish student’s movement while shouting slurs.
One student holding an Israeli flag was allegedly subjected to chants of “F*** you, Zionist go die,” “there is only one solution, Intifada revolution,” and “Hamas are freedom fighters.” The DOJ noted that police did not intervene in these incidents, and instead instructed the Jewish students to leave.
Between April 25 and May 1, 2024, the university received at least eight complaints reporting discrimination by demonstrators based on Jewish or Israeli identity. Despite this, the DOJ concluded, “GWU took no meaningful action and instead was deliberately indifferent to the hostile educational environment.”
The DOJ asserts that such inaction violates Title VI, which prohibits discrimination by institutions receiving federal funding. The agency emphasized that universities have an obligation to take “timely and appropriate” steps to investigate and respond to known harassment. Failing to do so, especially after being informed of specific abuses, can amount to illegal conduct under federal civil rights law.
In response to the DOJ’s findings, George Washington University posted a statement on its website, writing:
“The university has received the August 12 Department of Justice letter and is currently reviewing its contents to respond in a timely manner. GW condemns antisemitism, which has absolutely no place on our campuses or in our civil society. … We have taken appropriate action under university policy and the law to hold individuals or organizations accountable, including during the encampment, and we do not tolerate behavior that threatens our community or undermines meaningful dialogue.”
The DOJ is requesting that GWU contact the department by August 22, 2025, to indicate whether it will enter into a voluntary resolution agreement. If not, the department may proceed with enforcement actions under federal law.