Indiana University under investigation over antisemitism response, Trump administration says

IU Bloomington is one of 60 campuses currently under investigation by the DOE’s Office of Civil Rights over potential Title VI violations related to “antisemitic harassment and discrimination.” Title VI is a provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits programs that receive federal funding from discriminating on the basis of race, color, and national origin.

Other universities listed in the DOE release include the University of Minnesota, the University of Michigan, Harvard University, and four University of California system campuses.

Trump administration takes aggressive action against pro-Palestine protesters

The letter draws parallels to a November 2023 letter U.S. Sen. Jim Banks sent to President Pamela Whitten warning IU to “aggressively” respond to reports of antisemitism or risk access to federal funding. But the DOE letter comes at a moment of tense relations between U.S. universities and the Trump administration over pro-Palestinian activism on campus, particularly protests and encampments.

Last Friday, the Trump administration pulled about $400 million in federal funds from Columbia University, citing the New York City college’s “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.” The DOE warned the cancellation was only the “first round of action” against the university. In 2024, the Indiana University system received approximately $552 million in grants from the federal government.