Cornell, Columbia and UPenn among 7 schools facing Education Dept

The Department of Education has launched investigations into seven schools, including Cornell University, Columbia University and University of Pennsylvania, after receiving complaints about alleged incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia. The investigations include five antisemitism cases and two Islamophobia cases.

They are the first investigations of this kind by the Department of Education since the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.

The schools were informed about the investigations within the last 24 hours. They include one K-12 school, the Maize Unified School District in Kansas, and six colleges: Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, Cornell University in New York, Columbia University in New York, Wellesley College in Massachusetts, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told CNN on Friday that he anticipates more investigations are coming. A list of K-12 schools and colleges under investigation for possible discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics is now posted on the Department of Education’s website and will be updated weekly.