Jewish Exponent: Michigan Congressman Demands Answers from Haverford on Antisemitism

A United States Congressman serving on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce sent a letter to the president of Haverford College asking for more information on how the college, located a little more than a dozen miles northwest of Philadelphia, is handling increased antisemitism on its campus. Haverford must respond no later than July 10, per the letter.

The information requested by Michigan’s Rep. Tim Walberg includes but is not limited to disciplinary action taken after antisemitic conduct in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas; communications between university leadership after those attacks about disciplinary action and harassment against Jewish students; a student boycott of an Israeli-owned business; investigations into professors who posted or reposted online defending the Oct. 7 attacks, likening Zionists to Nazis; and more.

This comes after Haverford president Dr. Wendy Raymond testified in early May to the House committee about antsemitism on college campuses.

“While the Committee appreciates your appearance on May 7th to discuss these concerns, your lack of transparency about how, if at all, Haverford has responded to antisemitic incidents on its campus was very disappointing,” the letter reads. “Among other things, despite repeated requests, you failed to share any data, even in the aggregate, on faculty and student disciplinary actions taken in response to antisemitic incidents on your campus.”

“The U.S. House Committee on Education & Workforce has requested additional and/or clarifying information from each of the three college presidents who testified at the May 7 hearing into antisemitism on campus. We plan to respond within the specified timeline and look forward to underscoring that antisemitism has no place at Haverford,” said a Haverford College spokesperson.

Hillel International reports that the school has around 200 total Jewish students. Haverford College reported that 1,479 total students — all undergraduates — were enrolled at the college as of fall 2024. The 192-year-old school is private and costs around $68,000 a year.

Neither the college or the office of Congressman Walberg could be reached for comment on the situation.

It has been the subject of numerous stories in the past couple of years related to antisemitism. In April 2024, Haverford Students for Peace held an event that was advertised as accusing Israel of “intentionally” debilitating “Palestinians through the spread of COVID.”

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and the executive director of the Greater Philly Hillel Network, which has a chapter at Haverford, were quick to condemn the event.

One month later, a Jewish group at the school filed a federal lawsuit that alleged that the school violated students’ civil rights. That suit said that Haverford created a hostile environment for Jewish students on its campus.

This comes as the Trump administration has cut funding to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, leading one committee Democrat to question if that action won’t lead to increased antisemitism in the future as the office loses its ability to handle complaints.

“This administration is in the process of dismantling the Office for Civil Rights, and it raises reasonable doubt about the plans for addressing antisemitism on campus,” said Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia.

Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, colleges that receive federal funding must maintain a safe learning environment for all. Rep. Walberg said that where Haverford appears to have an issue is in its response to some students and staff creating an unsafe environment for Jewish peers.

“Under Title VI, even speech that is protected by the First Amendment may contribute to an unlawful hostile environment for Jewish students on college campuses,” he wrote. “Title VI requires colleges to promptly address and eliminate hostile environments.”

Many of the representatives involved in the questioning of Raymond in May were critical of her evasiveness in answering their questions.

Pennsylvania Republican Ryan Mackenzie, who represents the state’s 7th Congressional District, told Raymond that the federal government’s willingness to fund Haverford College “may be in jeopardy, because if you will not provide transparency and accountability like your other colleagues here, it calls into question your actions on your campus.”