In a Tuesday letter to the university’s president, the Justice Department said George Washington violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to address the harassment of Jewish students amid a campus tent encampment. The department said it will pursue enforcement action unless the university agrees to a voluntary resolution agreement.
According to an account published by The Hill, the DOJ said Jewish students were intimidated and fearful during the pro-Palestinian encampment on campus last spring and that multiple Jewish students reported harassment or assault from protesters.
The university did not immediately comment.
The Trump administration has issued similar findings at Harvard, Columbia and the University of California, Los Angeles. The government has used a deal with Columbia as a template for agreements with other universities.
The tent encampment at George Washington lasted about two weeks starting in April 2024 before it was cleared by police.
