House Republicans Probe Allegations of Anti-Semitism at UC–San Francisco

Pro-Palestinian protesters rebuild the barricade surrounding their encampment after clashes erupted overnight on the campus of the University of California–Los Angeles in Los Angeles on May 1, 2024. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images

Republican members of three U.S. House of Representatives committees are pressing the University of California–San Francisco (UCSF) to provide more information related to reported allegations of anti-Semitism on its campus.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s chairwoman, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, sent a letter on July 31 to UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood citing hundreds of complaints of anti-Semitism or hostile work environments on campus by university employees and patients at the medical center that were received by the university’s office of prevention of harassment and discrimination.

In terms of the medical center, the committee noted that some reports were from Jewish patients who have indicated they felt uncomfortable seeking treatment.

Some members of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and the Subcommittee on Health joined Rodgers in asking for a response to the allegations.

“It is unacceptable for students, faculty, and others on campus to be subject to calls for violence in a learning environment and it is unacceptable for UCSF leadership to permit it,” the letter reads.

The letter additionally sourced various news articles reporting incidents of alleged anti-Semitic behavior at the university, including several now-deleted social media posts with examples of faculty making allegedly anti-Israel statements.

The committee members stated in their letter that they had been told by those making complaints directly through the university that such actions and statements “fall under free speech protections.”

Recipients of federal health care funding through Medicaid and Medicare—such as providers at UCSF Health and its associated medical centers—are required to comply with civil rights laws, according to the committee.

“Any provider not compliant with federal civil rights laws is at risk for losing the right to participate in federal healthcare programs,” they wrote.

The committee noted that in 2023 the university had received more than $850 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including $790 million from the National Institutes of Health, which requires associated workplaces to be free from harassment and discrimination.

The letter asked how many complaints of anti-Semitism the university had received, what actions UCSF Health has taken to ensure a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and patients, and what steps the university and its associated health center had taken to remain compliant with civil rights laws.

The request for information followed a rash of pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses that erupted nationwide following last year’s initial attacks by the terrorist group Hamas on Israel.

In April, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced a House-wide effort to “crack down” on anti-Semitism on college campuses.

Requests for comment from the UCSF chancellor’s office and UCSF public affairs were not returned by publication time. 

In May, Gene Block, chancellor of the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA)—one of the 10 campuses in the UC system across the state—testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on the issue of anti-Semitism amid a national swell of pro-Palestinian college protests. 

UCLA faced a class-action lawsuit earlier this year from a Jewish student who alleged civil rights violations amid the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.

In prepared remarks to the committee, Block, who is Jewish, said the Los Angeles campus was subject to a “dual legal mandate” that obligated the school to protect free speech on campus as well as protect students from discrimination and harassment, per federal law. 

Dr. Gene Block, chancellor of University of California–Los Angeles, prepares for a hearing called Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic College Chaos before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in Washington on May 23, 2024. Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images

“As we all know, being an American means sometimes being asked to tolerate offensive and even hateful speech protected by our Constitution. But there are limits. At UCLA, we draw the line when speech crosses into intimidation, threats, and harassment of others,” he said. 

Block emphasized the importance of finding a “balance” between freedom of speech and the mitigation of discrimination toward others based on their beliefs or identity. 

“It is not always easy to strike a perfect balance, but it must always be our goal,” he said.