Yakym presses more than 130 colleges and universities on anti-Israel encampments

'Free speech and exchange of ideas are fundamental to higher education in the United States. However, the harassment, threats, and intimidation of students and faculty and disruption of the academic experience witnessed last spring did nothing to further those ideals.'

Congressman Rudy Yakym (IN-02) has sent a letter to the presidents of 136 U.S. colleges and universities pressing them on the steps they plan to take to ensure anti-Israel encampments are not established on their campuses during the 2024-25 academic year.

All of the college and university presidents who received a letter from Yakym lead an institution where an anti-Israel encampment was established on their campus this past spring. As has been widely documented, many of these anti-Israel encampments led to violence, antisemitic signs and graffiti, classroom disruptions, and verbal and physical harassment and intimidation directed toward Jewish and Israeli students and faculty.

"I met with students who testified to their personal experiences with these encampments," Yakym wrote. "They feared for their safety and felt the need to hide their religious beliefs. They also felt completely abandoned by their institution’s leadership, who opted to allow the encampments to grow and negotiate with them."

Among the issues Yakym pressed the college and university presidents on were policies regarding encampments established on campus grounds, steps taken to ensure that classes and academic settings will not be interrupted by any further attempted encampment activities and policies towards negotiating with encampments.

"Free speech and exchange of ideas are fundamental to higher education in the United States. However, the harassment, threats, and intimidation of students and faculty and disruption of the academic experience witnessed last spring did nothing to further those ideals. In fact, they degraded them and threatened the reputation of universities everywhere," Yakym concluded. 

Full text of Rep. Yakym's letter is as follows:

"As you may know, on October 7, 2023, terrorists led by Hamas unleashed a wave of barbaric attacks in Israel. It was the deadliest single day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, with 1,189 killed, thousands injured, and over 100 still hostage. Our fellow Americans are among the dead, wounded, and hostages. Hamas deliberately targeted civilians and children, subjecting them to unspeakable war crimes, including beheading, burning alive, rape, torture, and kidnapping.

This past spring saw the establishment of anti-Israel encampments on college campuses across the country. Your institution was among those with an encampment. While some were peaceful, there were, unfortunately, disturbing reports out of many encampments, including:

• Verbal and physical harassment and intimidation directed toward Jewish and Israeli students and faculty, or those perceived to be Jewish or Israeli or supportive of the state of Israel;
• Antisemitic signs and graffiti;
• Violence;
• Classroom disruptions;
• Class location moved by the instructor to the encampment;
• Blocked access to academic buildings for Jewish and Israeli students and faculty, or those perceived to be Jewish or Israeli or supportive of the state of Israel;
• Detention of students seeking to access blocked academic buildings;
• Occupation of academic or administrative buildings;
• Destruction of property; and
• Individuals not affiliated in any way with the institution being allowed to participate.
 
In many cases, these encampments appear to have violated institutional policies on protests and/or conduct, as well as federal and/or criminal statute, yet were allowed to fester. Such inaction degraded students’ educational experience and shrouded the campus atmosphere under a pall of intimidation.

I met with students who testified to their personal experiences with these encampments. They feared for their safety and felt the need to hide their religious beliefs. They also felt completely abandoned by their institution’s leadership, who opted to allow the encampments to grow and negotiate with them.

As students return to campus for the 2024-2025 academic year, we should not tolerate a repeat of the worst aspects of this past spring’s encampments. As such, I would like understand your institution’s  policies with respect to encampments, encampment participants, and student safety, as well as any changes therein. Please send a written response to the questions outlined below by September 26th, 2024.

1. What is your institution’s policy regarding encampments established on campus grounds?
    a. What changes, if any, have been made to this policy in the wake of this past spring’s encampment on your campus?
 
2. Many encampment participants evaded accountability by wearing masks. Has your institution changed its policy regarding masking? If so, what changes have been made?

3. What steps has your institution taken to ensure that that classes and academic settings will not be interrupted by any further attempted encampment activities?
    a. In the event of a classroom disruption, how does your institution plan to ensure that students are not deprived of curricula due to lost instruction time?
 
4. What steps have you taken to investigate violations of your institution’s policies on protests and conduct by students and faculty participating in encampment activities?
    a. Please describe disciplinary measures that were imposed, including number and type.
    b. If your institution chose not to impose disciplinary measures, please explain why not.
 
5. What specific steps have you taken to ensure the safety of Jewish and Israeli students and faculty at your institution?

6. What avenues are available for students and faculty to report incidents of antisemitism on campus? Please describe steps your institution has taken to inform students and faculty of these reporting mechanisms.
 
7. What is your institution’s policy towards negotiating with encampments? Has this policy changed since the spring?
 
8. What is your institution’s policy toward individuals who are not students, faculty, or otherwise employees of the institution participating in encampments?
 
Free speech and exchange of ideas are fundamental to higher education in the United States. However, the harassment, threats, and intimidation of students and faculty and disruption of the academic experience witnessed last spring did nothing to further those ideals. In fact, they degraded them and threatened the reputation of universities everywhere.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important issue, and I look forward to your response."