Antisemitism at elite colleges masks 'deeper rot' of DEI dominance in higher education: WSJ op-ed

Antisemitism at elite colleges masks 'deeper rot' of DEI dominance in higher education: WSJ op-ed

Antisemitism exposed on college campuses across the country is just one sign of the "deeper rot" caused by anti-American and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion "DEI" policies at these universities, the Wall Street Journal warned.

During a congressional hearing on antisemitism last week, the presidents of Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) refused to say whether calls for genocide violated university rules of conduct. 

Harvard and University of Pennsylvania leaders later walked back their statements, after widespread public outrage. UPenn President Liz Magill and Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok resigned amid the backlash.

The Journal suggested the Ivy League administrators' claim of protecting free speech was disingenuous, as Harvard and Penn ranked last in one nonprofit's survey out of 248 colleges for free speech in 2023. Thus, the public should take their shocking responses at face value.

"The three presidents have apologized for or moderated their comments before Congress, but that was only after the political consequences became clear. Believe what they said the first time. That is what their institutions now stand for," the editorial board wrote.

Taking steps against antisemitism won't address the "deeper rot of anti-American, anti-Western" philosophies, or the DEI policies "that use race, gender and sexuality as political weapons to enforce intellectual conformity, dictate tenure decisions, and punish dissenters," the board said.