The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into alleged anti-Palestinian, anti-Muslim, and anti-Arab racism at Columbia University, according to a group that filed a complaint against the university.
The news comes after months of student complaints about increasing harassment and the school’s failure to prevent a hateful environment towards Palestinian students from taking root on campus.
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights notified Palestine Legal, the group representing Columbia students and Students for Justice in Palestine, of its investigation, which the group shared in a public statement on Thursday. If the investigation finds Columbia violated Title VI, it could lose federal funding or “be referred to the Justice Department for further action,” according to the department.
Palestine Legal staff attorney Radhika Sainath praised the opening of the probe, which came just days after…