Chapman is under investigation by the Trump administration for antisemitism allegations

Photo Collage by Emily Paris, Photo Editor

Chapman, where Jewish students make up 10% of the student body, is one of 60 schools under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for allegations of antisemitism and discrimination against Jewish students.

On March 10, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) posted a press release announcing that 60 colleges and universities were under investigation for alleged violations of Title VI in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Chapman is on the list — two months after President Daniele C. Struppa criticized the recognition given to the Chapman Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) club, resulting in the award being rescinded.

Title VI is a law that prohibits discrimination based on racism, colorism and national origin within institutions that receive federal funding. According to the press release, Chapman is one of the schools that is accused of violating the act by discriminating against national origin, which includes “shared (Jewish) ancestry.”

This comes after Chapman was reported to the OCR by class of 2024 business administration alumnus Eli Schechter in partnership with the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.

Schechter filed a complaint last February against Chapman, stating that he was being discriminated against by the SJP solely on the basis of his “Jewish-sounding” last name. The report also alleges that another student received death threats from a member of SJP and that the university failed to take action against the perpetrator. 

The report calls for an investigation into Chapman’s Title VI practices, asking that the university provide mandatory training for the campus community on antisemitism and that the administration issue a statement denouncing antisemitism and recognizing Zionism as a “key component of Jewish identity for many of its students.”

“The office of civil rights complaint is the reason why Chapman is on the list of the 60 universities,” said Schechter. “The reason behind the complaint is because I want Jewish students to feel safe on campus, and for the university to do a better job.”

Chapman Students for Justice in Palestine shared a collective statement. 

“As we would under any administration, Chapman SJP stands resolute in its advocacy for Palestinian liberation. This order from (President Donald) Trump, along with the kidnapping of Mahmoud Khalil, was done to create fear in the Palestinian movement. We will not let this deter us from our purpose as an SJP,” a representative from SJP said. 

In response to a request for an interview regarding the investigation, he stated that he was too busy for an interview, but Struppa provided a brief statement affirming the university’s commitment to inclusivity and support for all students. 

“You may know that we have a longstanding history of supporting our Jewish students, faculty and staff through both our words and actions, and I stand by our record in this regard,” Struppa told The Panther.

Struppa listed examples of initiatives on campus that support Jewish students, including the Fish Interfaith Center, the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education, the new Or Initiative and collaborations with Israeli scholars.

“It's important to me that all of our students feel valued and supported here,” he said.

Since Chapman is federally funded, the OCR informed the university that they will receive “potential enforcement actions” if they are found guilty of not following Title VI laws. 

“U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, as quoted in the press release. “That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws.”  

The investigations come after Trump’s recent executive order to combat antisemitism, particularly at schools and universities. 

“(The Oct. 7) attacks unleashed an unprecedented wave of vile anti-Semitic discrimination, vandalism and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses,” the order states. “Jewish students have faced an unrelenting barrage of discrimination; denial of access to campus common areas and facilities, including libraries and classrooms; and intimidation, harassment and physical threats and assault.”

In recent years, following the Oct. 7 attacks, Chapman has been a split campus in regards to the war in Gaza. 

SJP put together a solidarity encampment on campus in May of last year, which asked that Chapman administrators call for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as the divestment of the university’s funding to all businesses that have ties to anti-Palestinian forces.

At the same time, the Students Supporting Israel (SSI) club hosted an event that featured three keynote speakers, all of whom were former soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces. 

Chapman administration and SJP came to an agreement days before the university’s commencement ceremony, with Struppa announcing that the students would take down the encampment in exchange for the Board of Trustees Investment Committee hearing the club’s presentation on divestment efforts. 

Representatives from SJP were able to present their divestment plan to the administration in September of last year, but it was denied by the Board of Trustees.

Later that month, a chalk-drawing protest in the piazza drew attention to the school’s free speech policies and what free speech means at Chapman. 

Conversations and controversies surrounding free speech led to the appointment of Vikki Katz as chair of free speech at Chapman.

Also on the list of schools under investigation is Columbia University; the Trump administration recently revoked $400 million dollars in federal grants and contracts due to the school’s failure to control antisemitism on campus. 

This is a developing story that The Panther will continue to report on as the situation unfolds.