Education Secretary Miguel Cardona remained silent as anti-Israel protests on Columbia University’s campus devolved into anti-Jewish hate. (Getty Images)
"Hate has no place in our schools. All education leaders must stand definitively against hate, antisemitism, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim sentiment," Cardona said.
When asked by Fox News Digital if he would call for protections for Jewish students on the campus who feel unsafe or what actions his office would take to address the problem, Cardona's office did not immediately respond.
"Universities are at their best when they promote the respectful exchange of diverse views and constructive debate. Our Office for Civil Rights interprets the civil rights laws we enforce consistent with free speech and other rights protected under the First Amendment. But we won’t tolerate hate or harassment that targets students because of who they are or who they’re perceived to be," Cardona said in the statement.
PATRIOTS' ROBERT KRAFT PULLS SUPPORT FOR COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AMID ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE
The organizers of the protest – Columbia University Apartheid Divest and Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine – staged what they labeled a "Gaza solidarity encampment" on the campus and shut down a central lawn at the university.
The protesters called for Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza and for the university to divest from companies that have ties to Israel.
By Monday morning, the unrest grew to lead the university’s president to make all classes virtual. President Biden said Monday he condemns "antisemitic protests," as well as "those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians."
By Monday evening, the turmoil had spilled over to other campuses. NYPD made several arrests of anti-Israel agitators at New York University, where some protesters could be heard chanting, "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" – a slogan that many regard as a call to genocide. Others were seen stepping on Israel's flag.
Anti-Israel agitators gather on Columbia University’s campus in New York City on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Peter Gerber)
Arizona’s state Superintendent Tom Horne came out against Cardona’s actions, calling them "unwarranted and unjust."
"In the U.S., anyone accused of wrongdoing is presumed innocent and entitled to their day in court. Secretary Cardona’s threat is contrary to those constitutional guarantees and unworthy of his position," Horne told Fox New Digital.
Last month, the Education Department fined Liberty University – another one of the largest Christian universities in America – $14 million for violations of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, including with respect to its published crime statistics and treatment of sexual assault survivors.
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The amount LU is ordered to pay is the largest fine ever imposed for violating the Clery Act.
Liberty officials claimed the agency "used a completely different standard" when investigating the school’s compliance with federal college campus safety standards. One official told Fox News Digital the review was "unprecedented" and it lacked a basis for "imposing such excessive fines given the Department’s long-standing precedent."
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Danielle Wallace and Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
Brianna Herlihy is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
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