Today, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee leaders sent letters to the Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, and NASA regarding potential violations of the Civil Rights Act at universities receiving federal funds. The committee has broad jurisdiction over non-military research and development, which includes science-based scholarships and grants to universities from multiple federal departments and agencies.
In the letters, the committee leaders express deep concern about the increase in antisemitic behavior occurring across universities nationwide. They stress that this behavior may violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, making universities ineligible for federal grant money.
“After months of antisemitic protests across university campuses, we’ve witnessed Jewish students verbally abused, physically assaulted, and barred entry to schools that they paid to attend,” the members wrote. “In some cases, faculty and university leadership participated in these activities. This created a hostile environment for the Jewish students and staff that live, work, and study at these universities, a potential violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.”
The members added, “By refusing to enforce school policies, and in some cases giving into the demands of agitators, university leadership charged with protecting academic environments contributed to their degradation, allowing for the continuation of a hostile environment.”
It is critical for these agencies to ensure that federal dollars are not actively funding Title VI violations and that recipients of financial assistance are cultivating equal opportunity for all and prohibiting discrimination.
“Any university receiving federal funding has a duty to promote equal opportunity to all students and to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act,” the members wrote. “A Title VI statutory violation occurs when a university discriminatorily denies participation of researchers or students in federally supported programs, activities, or laboratories or when a university’s response to an alleged violation is deemed inadequate.”
To ensure students and researchers are protected from intimidation, the members request that each agency review compliance with Title VI for each university receiving grants, provide Committee staff with a briefing, and answer the letter’s posed questions by June 20, 2024.
Read the letter to the Department of Energy signed by Chairman Frank Lucas, Investigations and Oversight Chairman Jay Obernolte, and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Brandon Williams here.
Read the letter to the Department of Commerce signed by Chairman Frank Lucas, Investigations and Oversight Chairman Jay Obernolte, Research and Technology Chairman Mike Collins, and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Max Miller here.
Read the letter to the National Science Foundation signed by Chairman Frank Lucas, Investigations and Oversight Chairman Jay Obernolte, and Research and Technology Chairman Mike Collins here.
Read the letter to the Environmental Protection Agency signed by Chairman Frank Lucas, Investigations and Oversight Chairman Jay Obernolte, and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Max Miller here.
Read the letter to NASA signed by Chairman Frank Lucas, Investigations and Oversight Chairman Jay Obernolte, and Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Brian Babin here.