Federal antisemitism task force announces visit to University of Minnesota
FILE - A sign stands outside the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. (KSTP/file)
The Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced Friday morning it plans to visit the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus.
Leo Terrell, the head of the task force within the U.S. Department of Justice, informed the U of M on Thursday of the task force’s intention to meet with university leadership, students and staff to investigate allegations of antisemitism and unlawful discrimination.
“The Task Force’s mandate is to bring the full force of the federal government to bear in our effort to eradicate Anti-Semitism, particularly in schools,” Terrell said. “These visits are just one of many steps this Administration is taking to deliver on that commitment.”
The statement said it would investigate 10 universities total, including Columbia University, Harvard University and New York University. The DOJ’s antisemitism task force expands on a list of universities the Department of Education released on Feb. 3, which included the U of M.
The DOJ created the multi-agency task force in February in response to a Jan. 29 executive order detailing measures to combat antisemitism.
A U of M spokesperson confirmed the university received notice of the task force visit on Friday.
“We are confident in our approach to combating hate and bias on our campus and we will always fully cooperate with any review related to these topics,” the university said in a statement. “The University continues to stand firmly against antisemitism. We have and will continue to respond promptly and fully to any reports of harassment, intimidation, or bias against Jewish students — or any other members of our University community — in accordance with our University values, our own policies, and our responsibility under the law.”