Education Sec. Cardona criticizes on-campus protests' impact on Jewish students: “Hate has no place on our campuses.”

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Tuesday criticized the impact college protests against the war in Gaza have had on Jewish students.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) pressed the secretary for his reaction to Columbia University students taking over a campus building hours earlier in support of Palestinians, as well as the impact of similar protests nationwide on Jewish students.

“Do you believe what is happening to Jewish students at Columbia and other colleges and universities across this country is okay?” Capito asked during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the fiscal year 2025 budget request.

“Absolutely not. I think what's happening on our campuses is abhorrent. Hate has no place on our campuses and I'm very concerned with the reports of antisemitism,” Cardona said. “I've spoken to Jewish students who have feared going to class as a result of some of the harassment that they're facing on campuses.”

Cardona also noted that the federal Education Department is investigating whether Columbia University violated Title VI with their handling of an on-campus encampment over the war in Gaza.

“We're committed, as a Department of Education, to adhering to Title VI enforcement,” Cardona said. “As an educator, lifelong educator, protecting students is our number one responsibility. We take that seriously and, you know, the antisemitism that we've seen on campus is unacceptable.”