GOP lawmakers berate Haverford College president for not discussing discipline for antisemitism

WASHINGTON — The president of Haverford College was berated by Republican lawmakers in a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism Wednesday, with some suggesting the school should lose federal funding because of her refusal to discuss student discipline in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests.

Wendy Raymond appeared alongside two other college presidents on Capitol Hill but was singled out as the only one who would not detail punishments for students and faculty accused of anti-Jewish bias. Asked repeatedly, Raymond said her institution does not publicize the outcomes of disciplinary processes.

''I suppose it's your First Amendment right to be evasive, but it's also our right to decide that such institutions are not deserving of taxpayer money,'' said Republican Rep. Bob Onder of Missouri.

Also appearing before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce were Jeffrey Armstrong of California Polytechnic State University and Robert Manuel of DePaul University. It was the latest in a series of hearings scrutinizing university presidents over their responses to allegations of anti-Jewish bias in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and a wave of protests that swept the nation's campuses.

Unlike others that featured leaders of Harvard, Columbia and other elite institutions — with stumbles that later contributed to their resignations — this one intentionally focused on lesser-known schools. Republicans sought to look beyond the Ivy League to underscore the pervasiveness of antisemitism on U.S. campuses.

The committee's leaders aimed to choose a diverse mix of colleges. Haverford is a small liberal arts school outside Philadelphia, founded by Quakers. DePaul is a Catholic university with an urban campus in Chicago. Cal Poly is a campus of 22,000 students in San Luis Obispo.

For more than three hours, Republicans grilled the presidents over reports of anti-Jewish harassment on their campuses, ranging from social media posts to the physical attack of two Jewish students at DePaul. Democrats denounced the hearing, calling it political theater that does little to fight discrimination.

The trio of presidents mostly struck a deferential tone, acknowledging some missteps while highlighting work to make students feel safer. Raymond and Manuel apologized for shortcomings, while Armstrong said ''we have to do better'' holding people accountable for prejudice.

But while the presidents of Cal Poly and DePaul shared information on disciplinary action against antisemitism, Raymond refused.

''We do not talk about those numbers publicly,'' she said when pressed on the question. She acknowledged some action had taken but declined to go further.

It drew a searing rebuke from Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., known for orchestrating fiery exchanges with former presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania that contributed to their resignations last year.

''Respectfully, president of Haverford, many people have sat in this position who are no longer in their positions as presidents of universities for their failure to answer straightforward questions,'' Stefanik said.

Stefanik questioned Raymond over a professor's social media post describing the Hamas attacks as ''imprisoned people breaking free from their chains.'' Raymond called it repugnant but refused to discuss individual cases.

DePaul's president faced scrutiny over his handling of a pro-Palestinian encampment. Protesters took over a campus quad at the Chicago university for 17 days, causing $180,000 in property damage, according to the school. Police cleared the encampment and said they found knives, a pellet gun and other weapons.

''My question is, if there is another encampment, are you taking it down that next day?'' asked Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill.

''Yes,'' Manuel said.

Other Republicans endorsed the idea of funding cuts for schools that refuse to disclose punishments, saying Congress should explore the issue. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania said it should be a baseline for receiving funding.

Republicans began the series of hearings in late 2023 and have routinely called education leaders to Capitol Hill to testify. Those called include chiefs of Harvard, Columbia, Penn, Northwestern University and the University of California, Los Angeles.

The Trump administration has separately frozen billions of dollars in grants to colleges targeted by a federal antisemitism task force. Those targeted include Columbia, Penn and Harvard, which is suing to restore $2.2 billion in grants. The Education Department doubled down last week, saying Harvard is no longer eligible for new grants.

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