Federal Commission Faults Universities on Antisemitism Response
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights cites inconsistent enforcement and limited transparency in new bipartisan report.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a unanimously approved, bipartisan report stating that campus antisemitism is a serious civil rights concern and calling attention to inconsistent university responses, limited federal transparency, and reduced enforcement capacity, the agency announced Saturday.
The Federal Response to Antisemitism on American College and University Campuses examines how institutions of higher education and the federal government have responded to allegations of antisemitism following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel.
On July 21, 2026, a bipartisan group of Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the report, the culmination of a bipartisan investigation led by Commissioners Peter Kirsanow (R) and Mondaire Jones (D). The report was transmitted to the President and Congress on September 28.
Campus Incidents Remain Elevated
With 583 antisemitic incidents recorded on campuses in 2025, many jewish students, faculty and staff continue to feel threatened, excluded and harassed. Incidents on college campuses remained almost three times higher in 2025 than in 2021, according to data from the Anti-Defamation League.
Roughly four in 10 (42%) Jewish college students report experiencing antisemitism at least once during their time in college or university, up from 35% in 2024, according to the American Jewish Committee's State of Antisemitism Report released in February 2026.
Nearly half (48.3 percent) of non-Jewish students reported witnessing or experiencing anti-Jewish behavior in the past year, and 47.6 percent endorsed at least one anti-Jewish attitude, according to ADL's Campus Crossroads survey conducted in January and February 2026.
Policy Gains Don't Reach Students
The federal report arrives as universities show measurable improvement in adopting anti-antisemitism policies. The proportion of schools earning A and B grades rose significantly from 23.5% in 2024 to 61% in 2026 on ADL's Campus Antisemitism Report Card, which assessed 150 institutions.
But new national survey findings in ADL's companion report, Campus Crossroads: Non-Jewish Student Perceptions of Jews and Israel, reveal troubling persistence of anti-Jewish attitudes and exposure to antisemitic behavior among students, making clear that policy changes have not yet fully reached students' day-to-day experiences.
For the 42% of Jewish students who reported experiencing antisemitism during their time in school, 55% say they have felt uncomfortable or unsafe at a campus event because of their Jewish identity, according to AJC and Hillel International.
Congressional Action
Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY) announced the launch of the Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses Caucus during a visit to Vanderbilt University on September 8. The caucus aims to hold colleges and universities accountable for protecting Jewish students, faculty, and staff.
The caucus announcement came during an event with Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and leaders from the University of Kentucky, University of Texas at Austin, Dartmouth College, the University of Alabama and Washington University in St. Louis.
Faculty Concerns
A 2025 ADL and Academic Engagement Network survey found that 73% of the 209 Jewish faculty members polled from universities around the U.S. reported observing antisemitic activities or statements from faculty, administrators or staff on campuses, including calls to boycott Israel and doxxing campaigns.
ADL launched a "When Antisemitism Comes to Class" initiative this year to address what it describes as antisemitism taking root inside classrooms and faculty governance.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan federal agency that advises the President and Congress on civil rights matters.
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