Trump administration adds WWU in Bellingham to nationwide probe of antisemitism
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- DOJ launched Title IV probe into WWU over campus antisemitism complaints
- WWU faces scrutiny despite reporting no Jewish-related hate crimes in 2024
- ADL tracked 14 antisemitism complaints at WWU since Hamas attack in October 2023
Western Washington University is among more than 60 colleges and universities that are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over complaints of campus antisemitism in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel and the Jewish state’s military response in Gaza.
At issue are “incidents of discrimination against students, including harassment, on the basis of national origin and religion” on campus under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to a March 14 letter to WWU officials from the Educational Opportunities Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division that was obtained by The Bellingham Herald. Title IV originally sought to force desegregation of public schools and was later expanded to protect other classes of students from a hostile learning environment.
Antisemitism has risen 360% since the Hamas attack on civilians touched off the most recent fighting in the Mideast, according to the Anti Defamation League, a civil rights organization that supports Jews and other targeted minorities. U.S. college campuses have been a focus of hate speech and hate crimes, the ADL said in a 2025 report.
Jewish and Israeli students and faculty members at WWU have repeatedly told The Herald that they feel unsafe on campus, especially since Oct. 7, 2023, and The Herald has reported several antisemitic incidents there.
▪ During several protests over the course of the 2023-2024 academic year, demonstrators used chants and slogans that many Jews interpret as calling for violence against Jews and the destruction of the state of Israel.
▪ In May 2024, a student wearing a Star of David necklace was spat upon near the site of a student protest camp against the war in Gaza.
WWU told The Herald that the incident was being investigated as a possible hate crime but it was not included in WWU’s submission to the FBI’s national hate crime database, which showed no Jewish-related incidents reported by WWU in 2024.
▪ WWU was not mentioned specifically in the ADL’s recent report on campus antisemitism. The ADL’s Seattle office told The Herald that it has received a total of 14 complaints about antisemitic activity on campus from 2023 through Friday. Those complaints included a bomb threat, three incidents of verbal or written harassment or threats, and one physical assault.
▪ Anti-Israel vandals broke windows at the Old Main administration building in October 2024 and wrote a slogan that several Jews told The Herald could be interpreted as a threat of violence. Nazi emblems and slogans have been found on campus several times this year.
▪ In May, the WWU Faculty Senate voted to demand that the university change its definition of antisemitism under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance — which is recognized by the U.S. government and more than 40 nations — to a weaker interpretation called the Jerusalem Declaration.
▪ In a June 2 essay for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, a former WWU student explains the antisemitism that forced her to switch universities.
“My fears around going to a school where faculty wouldn’t protect Jewish students and would actively contribute to the harm were fully realized,” Maddie Teitelman wrote.
▪ Bias and hate speech targeting Jews has a long history at WWU, and a surge of incidents in 2016 led to the formation of an antisemitism task force according to the online Racial History Timeline compiled by WWU faculty members and others. The Justice Department is seeking information about how the recommendations of that report were implemented.
A Cascadia Daily News article first detailed the Justice Department investigation on June 24.
WWU spokesman Jonathan Higgins told The Herald that university officials are complying with the Trump administration’s request.
A response from WWU was due June 30, according to a follow-up letter from the Justice Department. Higgins told The Herald that the university was compiling documentation sought in the federal probe.
“The university is fully cooperating with the DOJ’s request for information. WWU is committed to fostering a learning environment that is inclusive, respectful, and free from discrimination or harassment of any kind. While the DOJ has made no determination at this time, we take all concerns about equity and student well-being seriously,” Higgins said in an email. “We take seriously our obligations to comply with lawful federal requests while also protecting the privacy and rights of individuals in our campus community. We are currently reviewing the Department of Justice’s request and will carefully assess each item to determine what information is appropriate to share, consistent with applicable state and federal laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and relevant Washington state privacy statutes.”
A Justice Department spokeswoman refused to comment on the investigation, but according to a June 4 letter, information is being sought about several incidents, including:
▪ “A copy of all documents (e.g., incident reports, meeting notes, interview notes, investigative documents, internal documents, email communications, correspondence, text, voicemails) prepared or maintained by the university related to complaints or reports of alleged acts of antisemitic or anti-Israeli discrimination, (including harassment or retaliation) at rooms at the Viking (student) Union reserved or used by Hillel, between Oct. 7, 2023, and the present, including complaints that, on or about November 17, 2023, protesters tried to force their way into rooms being used by members of Hillel.” Hillel is a Jewish cultural organization for students.
▪ Any actions that WWU taken in response to the 2017 report on campus antisemitism, “including any actions taken in response to each individual recommendation in the report.”
▪ A “spreadsheet listing all complaints alleging conduct that reasonably may be considered antisemitic or anti-Israeli discrimination, including harassment or retaliation.”
▪ All complaints concerning student safety since Oct. 7, 2023.
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM.
