The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Louis Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law reached a settlement agreement with Occidental College over a Title VI complaint filed to the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) alleging that the college failed to properly address antisemitic incidents on campus.
The Journal previously reported on how the complaint, which was filed in April, alleged that Jewish students were bullied and harassed on campus. Occidental President Tom Stritikus, who came into office in July, announced on Nov. 26 that the voluntary settlement agreement had been reached on Nov. 22.
“While the College has not confirmed all the facts and characterizations in that complaint, we validate the experiences and perspectives of our students,” Stritikus said. “Throughout this process, College leadership has heard from students across the ideological spectrum — including Jewish students for whom Zionism is a core component of their religious or ancestral identity, and Jewish students who express their faith in other ways. During the mediation process, we learned more about several Jewish students’ experiences and concerns; discussed potential remedies with the OCR, the Brandeis Center, and the ADL; and continued to move forward with the College’s Plan for Building Community and Promoting Dialogue.”
“During the mediation process, we learned more about several Jewish students’ experiences and concerns; discussed potential remedies with the Office of Civil Rights, the Brandeis Center, and the ADL; and continued to move forward with the College’s Plan for Building Community and Promoting Dialogue.” – Tom Stritikus
The agreement acknowledges that Occidental has already voluntarily taken various measures to address the campus climate, including an updated Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (DHR) policy to include “examples of prohibited conduct that could constitute disparate treatment or harassment based on shared ancestry, such as Jewish identity,” mandatory student training on the DHR policy and Title VI and “updates to the College’s time, place, and manner policies to place reasonable limitations on the hours and conduct of demonstrations on campus.” The college will also use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when examining reports of antisemitic incidents. These measures will be continued through the 2025-26 academic year under the agreement and the policies will be reviewed prior to the beginning of the Fall 2025 academic year.
Per the settlement, the college will provide “expert-facilitated training” to the Bias Education and Support Team and Civil Rights & Title IX staff at the college that “will include examples of conduct that may constitute discrimination against Jewish or Israeli students based on their Zionism as an integral part of their religious or ancestral identity.” IHRA will also be used in “educational materials that will be made available on Occidental’s website.”
Stritikus went on to say, “although it is important to note that OCR did not open an investigation or issue any findings of noncompliance with Title VI, Occidental acknowledges that multiple students raised concerns, both informally and formally, about feeling excluded from the campus community based on their Jewish and Israeli identities. As I believe this Resolution demonstrates, antisemitism is antithetical to the College’s values, and discrimination against Jewish and Israeli students should be unequivocally rejected in our community. As we continue campus discussions around inclusivity, Jewish and Israeli identities should be recognized alongside other groups that have historically faced discrimination due to their religious, ancestral, or national identities.”
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement, “we are pleased that Occidental College has committed to meaningful steps to ensure that the civil rights of Jewish students on campus are protected and affirm that antisemitism has no place on campus,” “This outcome demonstrates how the Title VI OCR process can work to effectively protect Jewish students. We are deeply grateful for the U.S. Department of Education’s dedication and assistance in resolving this case. It is our hope that this resolution will lead to other college administrators implementing these or similar measures proactively to address antisemitism on campus.”
Brandeis Center President Alyza Lewin also said in a statement, “This agreement demonstrates Occidental College’s commitment to counter all forms of contemporary antisemitism and underscores their recognition that effectively combatting antisemitism requires understanding the relationship between Jewish identity, Israel, and Zionism. We are gratified by the school’s engagement in meaningful discussions at the highest levels of the administration, and we are heartened that Occidental has committed to creating a safer environment for Jewish students. When implemented, this agreement will help ensure that Jewish students are able to learn and thrive in an environment free from anti-Semitic hate, discrimination, and harassment.”