Trump administration opens antisemitism probe into UW after protest unrest
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Pro-Palestinian protesters rally at the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington, on March 15. Photo: Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration announced Tuesday evening it's investigating "recent incidents" of antisemitic "violence" at the University of Washington (UW) and its affiliates.
The big picture: The review by the departments of Education and Health and Human Services and the General Services Administration follows the arrest of some 30 pro-Palestinian protesters on Monday after they occupied a UW engineering building in Seattle and "set fire to dumpsters," per a statement from the college.
- The protest that the student group Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER) said it was behind is demanding the college cut ties with Boeing because of the aircraft maker's relationship with Israel.
- Boeing donated $10 million toward the construction of UW's Interdisciplinary Engineering Building in 2022.
Details: The federal government departments in a joint statement said the Trump administration's Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism review is "in response to the eruption" of antisemitic "harassment and violence that occurred Monday," which they said included "shouting death threats to law enforcement."
- The statement said the task force "appreciates the university's strong statement condemning last night's violence and applauds the quick action by law enforcement officers to remove violent criminals from the university campus."
- It added these were good first steps, but "the university must do more to deter future violence and guarantee that Jewish students have a safe and productive learning environment."
- The task force expects UW to "follow up with enforcement actions and policy changes that are clearly necessary to prevent these uprisings moving forward," per the statement.
What they're saying: Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement, "The violence and chaos that ensued on University of Washington's campus is yet another horrifying display of the antisemitic harassment and lawlessness which has characterized many of our nation's elite campuses over the last several years. This destructive behavior is unacceptable."
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement the task force's action "isn't about politics — it's about whether a federally funded university is upholding the law, protecting civil rights, and fostering a safe environment for all students."
- Representatives for UW and SUPER did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.
Go deeper: UW warned it could lose funding over alleged antisemitism
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
