WASHINGTON — Today, House Education and Workforce Committee member Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03) requested a briefing from Indiana University President Pamela S. Whitten regarding the university’s response to allegations of antisemitism within Indiana University Student Government (IUSG) leadership.
Rep. Banks said, “Antisemitism is on the rise on college campuses across America, and Indiana must be clear that antisemitism has no place in our state or its flagship university. Alleged prejudice within the IU student body’s leadership has resulted in the resignation of multiple IUSG officeholders over the past week and must be investigated by school administrators. I am calling on IU to follow the law and protect Jewish students from hate.”
Key excerpts from Rep. Banks’ letter are below:
“According to a recent resignation letter released by two now-former IUSG members, the student body president of IUSG is ‘is blatantly antisemitic,’ and IUSG leadership has consistently ignored the concerns of Jewish IU students and “does not want to work with Jewish students.” The letter also alleges that one of the student’s superiors in student government told her that “[a]ntisemitism is not an issue on campus.”
“U.S. colleges have experienced a 400 percent increase in antisemitic incidents this year, and antisemitic incidents across Indiana rose 106 percent last year. Last year, an antisemitic vandal ripped mezuzahs, a Jewish symbol, off IU students’ dorm doors…”
“As an IU graduate, allegations of antisemitism at my alma mater are personal and extremely concerning to me. As a lawmaker, I would note that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits anti-Jewish and antisemitic discrimination. If IU administrators condone or tolerate campus antisemitism, the university could lose access to federal funding.”
You can read Rep. Banks’ letter here.
