( Middlebury, Vermont — February 16, 2024) A federal Title VI complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights unveiled on February 16 details of how Jewish students at Middlebury College, who reported to the administration concerns about a pervasively hostile campus climate for Jews since October 7, 2023, were met with unlawful and disparate treatment by the administration; retaliatory disciplinary proceedings; administrative denial that antisemitism exists; hostility; instructions to Jewish students to downplay and hide symbols associated with their Jewish identity; and outright failure by the administration to enforce their own policies to protect Jews.
The Title VI complaint was filed by StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice (SCLJ), a non-profit membership organization which partners with StandWithUs and has the mission of taking legal action to fight antisemitism.
“October 7th was a living nightmare for Jews all over the world as we witnessed the largest massacre against our community since the Holocaust,” said Roz Rothstein, StandWithUs CEO and Co-Founder. “In its aftermath, Jewish students all over the country are enduring an unprecedented level of antisemitic discrimination, which we will not stand for. Unfortunately, it appears that administrators at Middlebury College are more concerned with denying that the problem exists than with addressing it.”
“Middlebury College has failed egregiously to provide adequate protection for Jewish students seeking to remedy persistent antisemitic bigotry on campus,” said Yael Lerman, Director of the StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice. “Middlebury administrators disregarded student allegations, attempted to silence them, neglected to enforce its own rules, and at times were complicit in discriminating against Jewish students. In doing so, the College has violated its obligations under Title VI and must be held accountable.”
“The hostile environment at Middlebury College and the administration’s failure to act to correct it are unacceptable,” said Carly Gammill, Director of Legal Strategy at the StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice. “Too often, when Jewish students raise concerns about antisemitism, they are subjected to administrators who deflect the bigotry at play. Jewish students deserve the same level of respect, consideration, and lawful response as all other minority groups when they report cases of bigotry and discrimination.”
The Title VI complaint is posted online HERE , in addition to a public petition encouraging Middlebury to act in defense of Jewish students.
Colleges that receive federal funding, like Middlebury College, have a legal obligation to ensure that Jewish students are treated equally to all other students. The Middlebury administration’s actions, as outlined in the complaint, show a total failure to address antisemitism on campus and, at worst, complicity in perpetuating antisemitic discrimination and a pervasively hostile environment for Jewish students.
Examples from the Title VI Complaint against Middlebury include:
The StandWithUs complaint suggest numerous remedies to address this egregious situation, including:
About the StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice
The StandWithUs Center For Legal Justice (SCLJ) is a tax-exempt membership organization that partners with StandWithUs, a nonprofit education organization dedicated to supporting Israel and combating antisemitism. Comprised of students in K-12 and college, professors, and community members, SCLJ enhances StandWithUs’ mission through impact litigation and other legal actions. Info@swulegaljustice.org
