(The Center Square) – The University of Michigan was one of 60 higher education institutions to receive a federal warning letter for not fulfilling its obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students.
Issued by the U.S. Department of Education, the letter was addressed to all universities in the U.S. currently under investigation for Title VI violations relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination. It promised “potential enforcement actions” if not addressed.
“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a press release. “University leaders must do better.”
The University of Michigan has come under fire for not addressing antisemitism on campus in the wake of pro-Palestine protests.
Those protests including flyers appearing on campus that read “Zionists f*** off” in Oct. 2023, an anti-Israeli encampment on campus grounds in April 2024, and protests interrupting classes in Nov. 2024.
As recently as Dec. 2024, the home of Jordan Acker, a Jewish member of University of Michigan’s Board of Regents, was vandalized in what the University described as “a clear act of antisemitic intimidation.”
Still, the university has received commendations for taking some positive steps to respond to antisemitism.
In the recently-updated Campus Antisemitism 2025 Report Card from the Anti-Defamation League, the school received a “C” grade. This is up significantly from its 2024 “F” grade.
The ADL says that, while corrections are still needed on campus, especially in “campus conduct and climate concerns,” it ranked actions from the school’s administration as above expectations.
The report card also took a look at Michigan State University, raising its 2024 “D” grade to a “B” in 2025.
This means the school addressed antisemitism “better than most.” It also did not receive a federal warning.
