Aaron Trudler
As anti-Semitism rises to frightening levels across the United States, the spotlight is on the anti-Semitic hatred rampant on college campuses and elementary and middle schools across the country.
Against this backdrop, US Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona held a press conference on February 6 and addressed the issue of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in the education sector.
Get The Jewish Exponent Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories
We do not share data with third party vendors.
Free registration
Cardona noted that he is working on this issue not only as Secretary of Education, but also as a father of high school and college students. I'm thinking about that role,” he said. As educators and education leaders, we must protect our students and their right to learn in a safe environment. ”
Citing her visits to various schools, Cardona said how the words of the students had a profound impact on her, and said that the students were aware that “anti-Semitism is normalized in some parts of our country. '' he said.
Mr. Cardona talked about his interactions with Jewish students at Towson University. The student described an incident in which he saw a swastika painted on a wall as he walked to class and took a different route for fear of being harassed. Cardona said the student said about the swastika, “It's not a big deal, so I'm glad I went that way.” “What do you mean, it's no big deal?” Cardona said, recalling that even the student pointed out that seeing swastikas on campus was commonplace. “That really bothered me, because no child or student should ever feel like they're going to attend a learning environment where people are openly spewing hate and creating an environment where it's not safe to even walk on campus. Because it’s not.”
“At the Department of Education, this was a moment where we all worked together. After the terrorist attacks, we really realized that we had to step up,” Cardona said of the events of Oct. 7 and their aftermath. He said this while discussing the department's response to the incident. Cardona said the Department of Education will “develop capacity and support college presidents, help K-12 leaders understand their roles and legal responsibilities, and ensure safe learning.” We are committed to providing tools for the environment. ”
In addition to publishing information on its website, Cardona said the department held a webinar about Title VI that more than 1,000 people attended to learn what to do and what resources are available. Ta. “I also fought to secure the funding necessary to ensure that our Civil Rights Division had the tools it needed,” said the Civil Rights Division, which enforces Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. he said, referring to. Help protect students from discrimination.
When asked about some of the Title VI cases filed with the department's Office of Civil Rights, Cardona declined to discuss specifics, instead speaking generally about the process and his department's role. “We need to start with students feeling safe on campus. That's the starting point,” he said.
School administrators add to an already difficult situation by pointing to the fact that some students say, “This is anti-Semitism,'' while others say, “This is my right to free speech.'' Complicating matters, Cardona said school leaders “have things they want to do.” What's right? ”
“We have heard from presidents and others that there is work to be done at the staff level to ensure how we communicate what we want to communicate to students and to ensure a working environment that is conducive to freedom of speech. “Do not create an unsafe learning environment,” he said. “I have presidents who have shared with me the need to increase the level of professional development around the resources available around Title VI. And I think they share that they want to do that. And they not only want to make sure that students feel safe, but they also want to make sure that students have a voice, even if it makes people uncomfortable. We also want to balance the ability to oppose.”
When asked if students saying or writing “from the river to the sea” would create a hostile environment and constitute a call for genocide, Mr. Cardona answered the question directly. spoke in general terms about the needs of school leaders. To act.
“We must be clear that any calls for genocide are unacceptable,” Cardona said. “For me, it's about leaders calling out genocide, condemning those statements, and making it clear that we will not only deal with the students who made those statements, but also the students who felt they made them.” I think it's a very clear line.'' That's what's being talked about. ”
When asked about “from the river to the sea,” which could have different meanings to different people, Cardona again objected. “We are investigating each incident, but it is difficult to comment on them here. If a student feels unsafe because of it, it is the responsibility of the instructor to take action.”
Citing the growing number of students across the country who feel unsafe on campus, Cardona said the average college student is not aware of the technical aspects of filing a complaint with the university or the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. I was asked whether I thought I had a sufficient understanding of the subject. If you endure what you perceive to be threats or threatening rhetoric.
Cardona noted that students may have a trusted adult at the university they can turn to if they feel uncomfortable or threatened, and that adults should know how to guide students accordingly, pointing out that the average admitted that students are likely not aware of what the administration does. Civil rights are like that.
“Unfortunately, sometimes that information is learned after something happens and then has to be acted upon. But it's the school's responsibility to have the infrastructure in place to communicate with students.” he says.
“As we have seen a rise in anti-Semitism in this country since October 7, university leaders have taken this opportunity to make the presence of leaders, deans, and student support services more visible and to increase the I think we should have communicated more directly and actively with our students. If you're in the mood for something, you can call this number, send a text message here, or visit this Student Support Services Center to pass on your message. I think that's certainly on the rise…Ultimately, part of it is giving them a platform to communicate and express their feelings, but also in the face of threats and attacks. “I think it's also about letting them know what their options are if they feel like they're in that situation,” he added. .
Cardona acknowledged that anti-Semitism has spiked since Oct. 7, but noted that “before Oct. 7, it was bad.”
“We want to make sure Title VI expectations are present for all students,” Cardona said, noting that in addition to rising anti-Semitism, Islamophobia is also on the rise. said.
“If you look at the resources and guidance we have provided, it has been helpful. It has created a better learning environment for students. It's given school leaders an opportunity to learn not only from their successes and victories, but also from their challenges. So I believe that's happened. And as an educator, I can honestly say that as a father, there are tools out there that have helped me in important areas of preventative maintenance to make sure we have a safe environment. We make sure we know what support is available to us, and I believe that has made a difference and helped create a safer learning environment.”
Cardona said the department has seen an “increase” in cases since Oct. 7 and has opened 60 common ancestry investigations in the past four months (compared to 27 initiated by the previous administration). It said it also contained anti-Semitic and Islamophobic claims.
Asked if he believed anti-Zionism was anti-Semitism, Cardona said: “We believe that anti-Semitism can include anti-Zionist statements… We are taking that into consideration.”
While much of the focus of the conference was on colleges, Cardona also talked about what middle school and high school students are going through.
“What I heard from my juniors was, 'You have to hide who you are so you don't have to deal with what's being said and what's being done to you,'” he said. says. “They might hide the Israeli flag sticker on their computer, or they might hide the Star of David that they didn’t hide before…As an educational leader, I worry very much about students not being able to be who they are. I feel sorry for the situation on campus. To me, it's an unsafe learning environment… From young students, that's what I hear — that it's easier to just hide. . But to me, it's very disturbing that students feel they have to disconnect from themselves in order to learn in a safe environment.”
In response to a question about whether university leaders are doing enough to address anti-Semitism and create safe spaces for students on campus, Cardona said, “More can be done.” “Some university leaders say, “Some people are doing really well,'' and “some people are not doing well.''
“I think what we highlighted in the immediate aftermath of October 7th is what happens when we are not in our presence in some cases… Just by facilitating a safe learning environment. Instead, students feel comfortable in who they are. They don't have to change who they are or hide their identity.”
