1,444 petitioners on Thursday demanded that the University of Southern California (USC) fix the loophole that permits discrimination and harassment of pro-Israel students to continue. Specifically, they want USC to expand its harassment policies to protect all students, not just some.
The petitioners cite two main areas where USC’s harassment policies neglect pro-Israel students. First, students are only protected from harassment if they fall into certain protected identity groups, which Zionist students do not. And the second involves the unequal treatment of students when it comes to freedom of speech and academic freedom. While USC emphasizes its commitment to freedom of expression, when verbal harassment is directed at certain groups, it is no longer considered free speech and will be subject to punishment. Pro-Israel students, again, are not afforded such protection and are left vulnerable to the harmful impact of verbal harassment.
“There is a strong sense among students, faculty, and members of the Jewish community, that if a USC graduate student’s social media messages threatening to kill Zionists and cursing Jews been directed, instead, against another minority, the University would have responded far more promptly and vigorously to such threatening verbal harassment,” the petitioners wrote.
“We believe that the source of this unacceptable double standard is USC’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation. Although it states at the outset that ‘all members of the university community should pursue their work, education, and engagement in University programs and activities in a safe environment,’ the policy only guarantees a ‘safe environment, free from discrimination and harassment’ to some and not all students,” they continued.
One petitioner shared: “My friend’s daughter had to leave USC because she couldn’t deal with the harassment and threats because she was Jewish and supported Israel.”
Another wrote: “As an independent college consultant, I work with highly qualified students, many of whom are drawn to USC’s programs but repelled by the anti-Zionist sentiment that is so freely expressed on campus. They fear for their safety.”
A third petitioner noted: “As a student who applied in the recent application cycle for Fall 2022, I fell in love with USC from my first visit to the campus and knew that I wanted to go there – but it would be greatly disappointing if a university as respected and admired as USC didn’t stand for the protection of ALL students. I urge you to ensure that Jewish and Zionist students are treated fairly and equally,” added another.
More petitioner testimonials can be found here.
The issue is coming to light after an uproar over the university’s failure to adequately respond to virulently antisemitic and threatening tweets from a USC graduate student, which included, “I want to kill every mother [expletive] Zionist,” “Zionists are going to [expletive] pay,” and “Yel3an el Yahud [curse the Jews],” which prompted USC to establish an Advisory Committee on Jewish Life, as well as commit to other measures to address years of mounting antisemitism and anti-Zionism.
For example, in 2020, a pro-Israel Jewish student government vice president felt compelled to resign her position following a relentless social media campaign to oust her from office, which included such comments as “impeach her Zionist [expletive],” and it “warms my heart to see all the Zionists from USC…getting relentlessly cyberbullied.”
The petitioners would like USC to use this moment to amend USC harassment policies so they protect pro-Israel students and all students from harassment that puts their safety at risk, curtails their free speech, and inhibits their participation in campus life.
