U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

WHAT:

Briefing of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, an independent, bipartisan agency charged with monitoring and protecting civil rights.

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hear testimony from a panel of experts regarding anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses. According to allegations, Jewish students at the University of California at Irvine, Columbia University, and other campuses have recently experienced hostility and intimidation. Such incidents have purportedly interfered with their ability to participate in campus activities. Some posit that these incidents are fueled by ideologically biased campus programs that receive operating funds from the federal government under Title VI of the Higher Education Act. However, others point out that banning or limiting campus groups' activities in certain cases threaten students' First Amendment rights. The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) recently announced it would investigate claims of anti-Semitic harassment under its jurisdiction to enforce Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will convene a panel of experts in an effort to learn the nature and extent of the problem, and what can be done to resolve the pending allegations.

WHEN:

Friday, November 18, 2005, 9:30 a.m.

WHERE:

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
624 Ninth Street, NW, Room 540
Washington, DC 20425.