On Dec. 20, 2023, Drexel University President John Fry notified staff and students of an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights with reports that students of Jewish descent have been discriminated against on campus, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Since the fall term, there have been instances of antisemitism, covered by the Triangle on Oct. 20, 2023 and Jan. 19.
This is one of over 20 cases that have been made against colleges that are being looked into more thoroughly. President Fry expressed his support for the OCR and their need to conduct an investigation into the complaints while further emphasizing their zero-tolerance policy towards any form of prejudice made in the university.
“Drexel University expressly prohibits harassment, discrimination, retaliation and bias incidents in any form . . . Our robust policies and procedures, which include the Discrimination, Harassment and Bias Incident Prevention Policy, are overseen by our centralized Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture,” said President Fry.
President Fry reminds everyone that while this situation requires more attention, this is not a set in stone determination that Drexel has incorrectly handled these situations.
“Drexel University is committed to ensuring a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our students, faculty and professional staff,” said Niki Gianakaris, the vice president of strategic communications in university marketing & communications.
Gianakaris continued, “Drexel does not tolerate acts of bias, discrimination and harassment and is fully cooperating with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights in its investigation.”
Students are encouraged to report incidents in regards to discrimination on campus by submitting an EIC report form.