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9h ago

UC Berkeley and CUNY Leaders Defend Antisemitism Measures in House Hearing

Republican lawmakers interrogated chancellors over faculty affiliations, prompting presentations of new antisemitism training, campus security enhancements.

Two weeks after the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October, 2023, hundreds of students gathered on UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza to call for a cease fire and end to the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza.
Dr. Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor, The City University of New York, testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce Committee hearing on "Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Faculty, Funding, and Ideology" on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce Committee hearing on “Antisemitism in Higher Education: Examining the Role of Faculty, Funding, and Ideology” on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington.

Overview

  • UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons highlighted mandatory antisemitism training for incoming students, partnerships with Jewish community groups and over $10 million in security investments to safeguard campus.
  • A letter from 82 Jewish UC Berkeley faculty members affirmed they feel secure on campus, rejecting allegations of an antisemitic environment and endorsing administration efforts to balance safety with free expression.
  • CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said CUNY logged 68 antisemitism complaints in 2024 and disciplined 18 students, but faced scrutiny over delayed removal of swastika graffiti at Hunter College and the hiring of a former CAIR staffer as chief diversity officer.
  • Rep. Elise Stefanik aggressively pressed Matos Rodríguez on alleged foreign ties of faculty and the involvement of CUNY legal clinic CUNY Clear in defending pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, calling for concrete administrative actions.
  • Former DOE civil rights official Matt Nosanchuk testified that staffing reductions under President Trump have weakened enforcement of antisemitism complaints, raising concerns about Jewish student safety nationwide.