Eastern Washington University is one of 60 U.S. universities under investigation by the federal government following a report of antisemitism on campus.
On March 10, Eastern received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights directed to President McMahan. The letter, obtained through a public records request, said that following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, U.S. educational institutions have “endured an eruption of antisemitic activity.”
“I write to remind you of your legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), and to emphasize that, under President Trump and Secretary McMahon, OCR will no longer tolerate these unlawful practices.”
On Feb. 22, 2024 an individual made a report to the U.S. Education Department about a campus antisemitism incident, saying panels being held at Eastern were “getting out of hand” and “being taken over by radicals.”
Pam Scott, EWU Director of Communications & Media Relations, said in an email that the two panels that triggered the report were titled “The Bloodletting in Gaza: A Discussion on the Perspectives of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Role the US has Assumed,” and “The Massacre in Gaza: Security or Genocide?”
On March 12, 2024 President McMahan received an email notifying her the school would be under investigation.
The email said the investigation was about, “whether the University failed to respond to alleged harassment of students based on national origin in a manner consistent with the requirements of Title VI.”
Eastern responded swiftly to the 2024 investigation and has provided the civil rights office with everything they asked for, Scott said via email on March 17, 2025.
“The case is still pending with OCR,” Scott wrote. “We take all reports of discrimination and harassment seriously. The university remains committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all students, regardless of shared ancestry or national origin.”
Scott said that the university is legally required to uphold free expression, including discussions from varying points of view.
“I want to reiterate that Eastern Washington University unequivocally condemns antisemitism and all forms of hate and discrimination.”
EWU student Stephen Croskrey contributed to this report.
