CUNY needs radical change to combat 'dangerous' anti-Semitism: NY Investigator

CUNY needs an overhaul from top to bottom to combat “dangerous” anti-Semitism spread by its own faculty and dysfunctional higher-up officials, according to a damning report. Independent investigation ordered by Governor Kathy Hochul,

“I feel compelled to note that there have recently been a disturbing number of unacceptable anti-Semitic incidents targeting members of the CUNY community,” widely respected retired state Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said in a letter to Hochul accompanying the scathing findings released Tuesday after a 10-month review.

“Many people don’t feel safe on campuses, and that’s the root of the problem.”

According to a detailed 146-page analysis, some campus presidents and professors at the City University of New York are part of the problem by not doing or helping to stop hatred toward Jews at the vast public university system.

The scathing report was prepared pro bono for the state by Lippman and colleagues at his law firm, Latham & Watkin. calls the professors – though not named – for fanning the flames of division and hatred rather than reducing tensions and encouraging peaceful dialogue.

“Some teachers are making a fuss about this,” Lipman told The Post.

He said professors have a right to freedom of expression, but the report stressed that they could do more to promote dialogue, “rather than incite conflict, as we have often found.”

CUNY consists of 25 institutions including 11 senior colleges, 7 community colleges, a graduate center, a law school, and other programs.

Public university college presidents have also been criticized for weak leadership in combating hate, as they are more concerned about the reputation of their campus.

The report found that some CUNY college presidents were “hesitant” to assign uniformed officers to handle potentially violent protests and protect students “because they believed doing so could result in bad publicity.”

“This is unacceptable,” Lipman said in the report.

The study called for closer coordination between CUNY schools and law enforcement and its own security officers to strengthen public safety.

The report offered 13 recommendations, many of which should be implemented immediately.

Among them:

— Create a center that will focus solely on anti-Semitism and discrimination and be used as a resource by all campuses.

– Appointing an anti-Semitism and hate monitor to ensure that discrimination is being adequately addressed.

— Establishing a victim advocate program, seen as necessary because of current cumbersome procedures that impede the investigation of complaints alleging discrimination.

— Removing CUNY’s badly flawed central portal program, which students and staff use to lodge complaints of anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination.

“The funny thing is that when you complain, the portal itself doesn’t acknowledge it or take any action,” Lipman told the Post during an interview with the editorial board. “The portal is a total failure.”

— Requiring more mandatory training for diversity officers who investigate discrimination complaints.

— Establish a policy on the right to freedom of expression, which will clarify where protests can and cannot take place, in order to protect Jewish students from being harassed and intimidated.

“Do not let protesters take over the entire university,” the report said, adding that wearing masks to conceal the identity of protesters “raises serious security concerns.” “Encampments in general pose a security risk to the campus.”

Protesters arrested at CUNY City College Campus After setting up an “intifada camp” in April, rioters caused $3 million in property damage.

– Using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism as a guide for determining the definition of anti-Jewish hatred.

— Revising old rules and policies, including what types of conduct are permitted or prohibited in connection with social media.

Hochul limited the scope of the investigation to CUNY, even though Some of the state's worst Pro-terrorism, anti-Semitic incidents have occurred at private universities such as Colombia and Cornell.

The report did not mention many specific anti-Semitic incidents.

But Lipman cited a recent incident. First year of persecution In his letter to Hochul, he described as particularly egregious the brutality inflicted on protesters at a nearby kosher restaurant by Jewish students from Baruch College.

“Not only did the protesters cruelly taunt the students about the killing of six hostages by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, (they) also threatened the students with violence, and used anti-Semitic slurs in the process,” Lipman wrote.

“What is particularly noteworthy is that protestors have couched some of their reprehensible attacks in anti-Semitic rhetoric, which only confirms the point I made in my report – that anti-Zionist sentiment can constitute anti-Semitism.”

CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez said the university would implement many of the report's recommendations.

“I applaud the work of Judge Lippman and her team in preparing this review and recommendations, and thank Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to higher education and support in keeping our campuses safe,” CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez said in a statement.

“Amid a rising wave of anti-Semitism across the country, CUNY has already taken significant steps to combat hate and discrimination. Recognizing that there is still more work to do, we look forward to working to implement Judge Lippman's recommendations to redouble our efforts and further our progress to create a more inclusive campus environment for students, faculty, and staff.”

“No student, Jewish or otherwise, should be threatened in any way,” said Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, who serves on CUNY’s Advisory Council on Jewish Life.

“I am proud of our initiatives at CUNY, but there is room for improvement as we continue our partnership to build a university free from hate and discrimination,” he said.