By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-26 00:19:24 | Updated at 2024-11-27 18:52:08
1 day ago
Jewish students at the City University of New York recalled horrifying acts of antisemitism during a City Council hearing Monday — as the school’s chancellor was grilled over his handling of on-campus hate.
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez was slammed by lawmakers for providing scant details about what actions he has taken since an independent report found the public university needed to overhaul its policies to combat an “alarming” number of antisemitic incidents.
“We want a CUNY that is safe and welcoming for all students. Those conversations become very challenging when that data doesn’t exist, or it exists, but it’s not being shared, or you didn’t come prepared with it,” Councilmember Eric Dinowitz (D-Bronx), chair of the Committee on Higher Education, scolded.
Rodríguez, for instance, was unable to provide the number of complaints made by students or staff or say whether any faculty members had been disciplined.
“It’s just wholly unsatisfactory. It’s not enough just to show up,” Councilmember Julie Menin (D-Manhattan), who is also on the committee, fumed.
The report — commissioned by Gov. Kathy Hochul and conducted by former New York chief judge Jonathan Lippman — made 13 recommendations to CUNY, including in regards to revamping its complaints system, hiring practices and training of diversity officers and professors.
Other recommendations from the report, released in September, included collaborating with law enforcement and security professionals to ensure students felt safe and developing a clear definition of antisemitism.
Students who testified at the hearing Monday begged CUNY to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which reads: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
The students recalled the fear they felt when protests erupted on campus in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
“They publicly labeled me a genocide enabler simply because I called out the antisemitism of their protest,” one student said.
“All I ask is that Jewish students are treated with the same respect and dignity that any other student would be granted.”
Another student, who was told to remove his star of David necklace while on campus, said his return to school after a trip from Israel was “something of a nightmare.”
“I came to understand that my safety at school could not be guaranteed.”
Rodríguez said a plan to revamp the school’s complaints system was underway, and that he was looking to expedite its rollout with an emergency procurement process for the contract.
He also touted other actions the university system — which counts 25 campuses — had taken, including hiring private security officers, launching a case management system, student surveys and inclusion campaigns.
The chancellor said a “Freedom of Expression Working Group” would clarify the school’s policy on freedom of speech.
“Tensions and challenges do arise, but we have the rules and regulations in place to investigate and do not hesitate to enforce them,” he said.
CUNY, which receives $975,381 in city funding and $2.1 billion from the state, has seen a spate of antisemitism incidents since the Hamas attack and ensuing war in Gaza, including anti-Israel protesters taunting Jewish students on video about the hostages taken by the terror group on Oct. 7, 2023.
Administrators at CUNY’s Baruch College were recently put on blast for telling students they could not “guarantee their security” if they proceeded with a Sept. 26 event celebrating the Jewish New Year.
