Rep. Mary Miller Questions CUNY Chancellor on Campus Anti-Semitism

Campus Anti-Semitism Concerns

• ⚠️ Rep. Mary Miller highlights the explosion of anti-semitism on college campuses since the October 7th attack, particularly in her home state of Illinois.
• 🏛️ She notes that many colleges cite the First Amendment to protect anti-semitic speech, despite Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibiting harassment that creates a hostile learning environment.
• 🎯 The goal is to hold colleges accountable for anti-semitic rhetoric and violence, asserting that such hateful ideology has no place in America.

Professor Conduct and CUNY Policies

• 🗣️ Miller questions Chancellor Matos Rodríguez about two CUNY professors: one who referred to Hamas as resistance fighters, and another who called Zionists Nazis.
• 🚫 Chancellor Matos Rodríguez states that Hamas is a terrorist organization and CUNY has no tolerance for supporting it.
• 🔍 He confirms that if any CUNY community member violates policies, an investigation will occur, and discipline will be taken if warranted.
• ❓ Miller asks if the Chancellor is hearing about these professors for the first time, to which he admits unfamiliarity with the first case but familiarity with the second, promising investigation and action.

UC Berkeley Event and Free Speech

• 📅 Rep. Miller also brings up an event at UC Berkeley's gender and women's study department that allegedly denied Israeli women were raped by Hamas and accused Israel of weaponizing feminism.
• 🌐 The Chancellor explains it was an online event organized by a faculty member, intended to foster a marketplace of ideas, and they did not know the specific controversial statements that would be made.
• 🧐 When questioned about whether the organizing faculty member disputed the statements, the response was that they did not, implying silence carried meaning.
• ⚖️ Miller emphasizes the importance of consequences for behavior change, expressing disappointment with the situation.