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(NewsNation) — House Republicans are acceptable to grill 3 college presidents accused of tolerating antisemitism arsenic pro-Palestinian protests took campuses by tempest past year.
The presidents of Haverford College, California Polytechnic State University and DePaul University volition look earlier the Committee of Education and Workforce connected Wednesday astatine 10:15 a.m. EDT.
"This proceeding is simply a continuation of this enactment truthful that we tin guarantee Jewish students crossed the nation don’t look threats oregon harassment in usurpation of Title VI," said committee seat Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., successful a statement.
Ahead of Wednesday's hearing, lawmakers said their extremity is not to get the presidents fired for their handling of protests — but to get them to bash their jobs.
"What we're seeing connected assemblage campuses contiguous isn't activism, it's intimidation, it's harassment ... Let maine beryllium clear, there's nary justification — nary — for chanting successful enactment of the evil violent radical Hamas," said Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah.
Some universities, specified arsenic Harvard, person shared concerns that the medication is utilizing the "guise of combating antisemitism" to overstep and power the nation's schools.
Recent Gaza warfare protests connected assemblage campuses
Earlier this week, protesters astatine the University of Washington clashed with police, occupying a field gathering and calling for the schoolhouse to chopped ties with Boeing implicit its relation successful supplying weapons to the war successful Gaza.
The concern lasted respective hours with blockades and dumpster fires, and it ended with constabulary storming the gathering and making 30 arrests.
“The University volition not beryllium intimidated by this benignant of violative and destructive behaviour and volition proceed to reason antisemitism successful each its forms,” assemblage spokesperson Victor Balta said successful a statement.
Hillel International, a Jewish pupil organization, said antisemetic incidents connected assemblage campuses accrued 700% aft the commencement of the Israel-Hamas warfare successful 2023.
The president of DePaul University told NewsNation his field has implemented systemic changes to destruct antisemitism and that helium looks guardant to Wednesday's hearing.
Trump cuts national backing for universities
The committee's findings could power President Donald Trump's decisions connected national backing cuts. He antecedently vowed to curtail assistance for schools that let pro-Palestinian demonstrations oregon garbage to travel his arguable list of demands for institutions.
At Columbia University, the nonaccomplishment of national backing has resulted successful the termination of astir 180 employees aft Trump canceled $400 cardinal successful national grants and contracts to the school.
Meanwhile, the Education Department said this week that Harvard volition not person immoderate caller national grants until the schoolhouse meets the administration's demands.
Trump already froze much than $2 cardinal successful national grants to Harvard and wants to portion the schoolhouse of its tax-exempt status.
Harvard has continued to telephone those actions "government overreach."
NewsNation's Nancy Loo and Anna Kutz contributed to this report.
