Harvard, 12 other schools get failing grades on ADL campus antisemitism evaluation

Harvard University, Tufts University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and 10 other schools received failing grades for their policies on antisemitism prevention, according to an assessment from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

The ADL, in its “Campus Antisemitic Report Card” published Thursday, said it evaluated 85 of America’s top liberal arts colleges, and those with the highest Jewish student populations.

The report based the grades on the schools’ antisemitic incidents, “Jewish life on campus,” and administrative actions taken to fight antisemitism and protecting Jewish students.

Out of the dozens of college assessments, only two — Brandeis University and Elon University — received “A” grades, the ADL said. Seventeen received a “B” grade, 29 schools received a “C,” and 24 schools were graded with a “D.”

Those with “F” grades were Harvard, the University of Chicago, Stanford University, MIT, Princeton University, Tufts, the University of Virginia, Michigan State University, SUNY Purchase, SUNY Rockland, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Swarthmore College.

A spokesperson for Harvard University told The Hill that antisemitism “has no place” in the school’s community.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to combating antisemitism and hate, in whatever form it manifests itself,” the spokesperson said.

In a comment to The Hill, Tufts spokesperson Patrick Collins said the school “disagrees” with the grade and said Tufts has “vigorously condemned antisemitism incidents on campus.”

The University of Massachusetts Amherst “stands firmly by its unwavering record of combating all forms of hatred, including antisemitism,” a spokesperson said, adding that the school has a “deep and public commitment” to protecting the rights of its community.

A UNC Chapel Hill spokesperson said the school is “committed” to “promoting a safe and equitable environment” for community members, while a spokesperson for Swarthmore College said the school has repeatedly condemned antisemitism and anti-discrimination in the past.

The Hill has reached out to the 8 other schools for comment.

Harvard has come under fierce scrutiny in recent months for its handling of antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. The elite college made headlines after 30 student-led groups signed a letter blaming Israel for the attack, with the school’s leadership quickly seeking distance from that position.

Protests involving supporters of Israel and Palestine later unfolded, and then-university President Claudine Gay testified before Congress late last year on the state of the fight against antisemitism.

Her responses to lawmakers prompted backlash and eventually played a role in her resignation in January.

The GOP-controlled House Education Committee has since ramped up its investigation into campus antisemitism, including issuing a subpoena to Harvard earlier this year. Harvard submitted more than 1,500 documents in response, but the panel has called the records insufficient for its purposes.

The ADL has repeatedly warned over an uptick in antisemitism attacks since early October. According to a December report from the organization, there were 2,031 antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7, a significant jump from the 465 incidents reported during the same period last year.

“As I travel the country, I’m constantly hearing from Jewish families agonizing over where they will send their kids to college,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “School leadership must make serious changes to support Jewish communities on their campus; we expect nothing less.”

A survey released last week by Hillel International showed that 64 percent of Jewish parents of college applicants say their child has eliminated at least one school from their list due to rising antisemitism. Ninety-six percent say they are worried about antisemitism on campus, and 80 percent say they are focused on campus safety in their college search process.

–Updated at 3:56 p.m.