Senator Rick Scott announced the reintroduction of the Preventing Antisemitic Harassment on Campus Act which he led last Congress with former Senator Marco Rubio, to address the rise in antisemitic incidents and rhetoric following the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas. This legislation will hold colleges and universities accountable for addressing the rise of antisemitic harassment and discrimination, which violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, or risk losing federal funding, as leaders on campuses failed to do in recent years while antisemitic mobs took over academic buildings while Jewish students feared for their safety.
This legislation will build on President Trump’s recent efforts to withhold federal funding from higher education institutions failing to stop antisemitic actions on their campuses, including President Trump’s move today to cut $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University.
Senator Rick Scott said “Following Iran-backed Hamas’s attack on Israel, we saw a drastic rise in antisemitic attacks in the United States with anti-Israel mobs taking over campuses, and we’ve seen an unacceptable failure from leadership at higher education institutions to take action to condemn these mobs and protect Jewish students. Jewish students were afraid to go to class, fearful of the violence these pro-terrorist mobs threatened. That can’t happen. President Trump is completely right to withhold federal funding from higher education institutions that refuse to enforce the law on their campuses and enable antisemitic hate to flourish, and I’m proud to lead this bill to build on his efforts.”
The Preventing Antisemitic Harassment on Campus Actwould:
- Expand Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance to include religious discrimination as a prohibited practice, with exceptions for programs or activities tied to religious organizations.
- Implement clear and escalating penalties for institutions of higher education (IHEs) that are repeat violators.
- Ensure that Title VI is enforced with the same rigor against antisemitic discrimination as it is for other forms of discrimination.
- Mandate that IHEs inform students, faculty, and staff if they are found in violation of Title VI.
- Direct the U.S. Department of Education to oversee private lawsuits against colleges receiving federal financial aid related to antisemitism.