Federal inquiry into discrimination complaints at UW resolved, finds no wrongdoing

The University of Washington (UW) has agreed on a resolution with the U.S. Department of Education after a year-long investigation into how the school responds to discrimination complaints was completed.

According to the resolution agreement, UW was not found liable, nor committed any wrongdoing, regarding handling discrimination complaints from students, but the university did agree to five actions that will help handle these complaints in the future.

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“The University of Washington is committed to the safety and well-being of all our community members – anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and discrimination of any kind have no place in our University,” UW President Ana Mari Cauce said. “We take seriously the concerns that were raised, and we appreciate the opportunity to reach a resolution in this matter, including taking actions that will continue and strengthen our efforts to support a welcoming and safe environment for every member of the UW community.”

During the investigation, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reviewed approximately 140 reports of shared ancestry discrimination, which the university received just in the last two academic years. Included in the discrimination complaints was one student exclaiming, “Kill all Jews” during the campus protest encampment.

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Last year, The UW Progressive Student Union started a protest encampment in solidarity with Palestine in the campus’ quad area, eventually being joined by students with the UW United Front for Palestinian Liberation. The political statement on campus incited harassment on both sides, including antisemitic and anti-Arab remarks that eventually became discrimination complaints. Additionally, antisemitic graffiti littered buildings in the quad area of the campus.

Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary of OCR, found a significant increase in complaints both antisemitic and anti-Arab on school grounds since the Israel-Hamas War started, according to KUOW.

Other discrimination complaints not involved with the Israel-Hamas War that OCR investigated included a Somali student group and three other African or Muslim student groups receiving a letter during the first days of Ramadan that included the phrase “go back to whatever s***hole you came from.”

Another student reported finding swastikas on their floor in a residence hall, and the student believed it was a “targeted attack” and that they felt “very scared” and “not safe right now,” according to the U.S. Department of Education. There were 11 separate incidents of graffiti that included several swastikas and anti-Black slurs in a residential dorm, campus police revealed during OCR’s investigation.

But for the university itself, OCR found no wrongdoing in the school’s response to the complaints and how the administration handled them.

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“We are pleased to have reached this agreement, which reinforces our values and our commitment to upholding Title VI and protecting the civil rights of every member of our community,” UW Provost Tricia Serio said. “I look forward to working with the University’s leadership to implement the actions and commitments outlined in this agreement and to continually working to foster a campus community free of discrimination and welcoming to all.”

Still, OCR’s investigation revealed gaps in UW’s response to bias incident complaints, providing the school with five steps to help the university address these issues faster and more efficiently.

The five things OCR wants UW to do include reviewing and updating policies and procedures, providing regular training to all employees responsible for reviewing and investigating reports of discrimination, creating or improving anti-discrimination training for all students and employees, and for UW to make legal determinations regarding whether the act that led to a complaint created a hostile environment for the student.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest and producer of the Seattle Seahawks podcast, The Reset with Gee Scott. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.