The Trump administration is launching a review of antisemitic violence that occurred this week on the University of Washington campus.
The review comes after about 30 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested late Monday night after occupying a university building and setting dumpster bins on fire.
“The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism appreciates the university’s strong statement condemning last night’s violence and applauds the quick action by law enforcement officers to remove violent criminals from the university campus,” the U.S. Department of Education said in a news release issued late Tuesday. “While these are good first steps, the university must do more to deter future violence and guarantee that Jewish students have a safe and productive learning environment. The Task Force expects the institution to follow up with enforcement actions and policy changes that are clearly necessary to prevent these uprisings moving forward.”
Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return, or “Super UW,” claimed it was protesting – including occupying the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building – to demand the university cut ties with Boeing, a major employer of UW engineering graduates, The Center Square previously reported. In 2022, Boeing donated $10 million toward construction of the engineering building.
Super UW cited Boeing’s military contracts with the Israel Defense Forces and its operations in Gaza.
“The University of Washington is a direct partner in the genocide of the Palestinian people through its allegiance to its partnership with Boeing,” it wrote on social media.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the violence is unacceptable.
“The violence and chaos that ensued on University of Washington’s campus is yet another horrifying display of the antisemitic harassment and lawlessness which has characterized many of our nation’s elite campuses over the last several years,” McMahon said in a statement. “This destructive behavior is unacceptable. The Task Force will not allow these so-called ‘protesters’ to disrupt campus life and deprive students, especially Jewish students who live in fear on campus, of their equal opportunity protections and civil rights.”
Antisemitic protests, often violent ones, ignited on college campuses nationwide after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel and Israel responded by invading Gaza.
More protests erupted at the campus Tuesday night at a Turning Point USA event hosted by Riley Gaines, a national advocate for barring transgender athletes from computing in girls’ and women’s sports. Gaines posted on social media that protesters threw feces at Turning Point supporters. Video posted on social media showed protesters harassing event attendees as they returned to their cars, some suggesting that they kill themselves.
Of the pro-Palestinian protests Monday night, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is co-leading the review with the Department of Education, threatened to withhold federal funding from the University of Washington if it doesn’t respond appropriately.
“No institution that tolerates violence, harassment, or the open intimidation of Jewish students should expect to receive billions in taxpayer support,” Kennedy said in a statement. “This isn’t about politics – it’s about whether a federally funded university is upholding the law, protecting civil rights, and fostering a safe environment for all students.”
Under the Trump administration, the federal government also cracked down on Columbia University and Harvard, withholding federal funding over what it characterized as allowing antisemitic behavior on campus.
