Emory University scores 'C' grade on fighting campus antisemitism, ADL says
ATLANTA - It's been six months since the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas militants on Israel, and the Anti-Defamation League says colleges are failing to protect their Jewish students from antisemitic attacks on campus.
On Thursday, the ADL released its first Campus Antisemitism Report Card reviewing 85 schools across the country, including Emory University in Atlanta.
"As I travel the country, I’m constantly hearing from Jewish families agonizing over where they will send their kids to college," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. "School leadership must make serious changes to support Jewish communities on their campus; we expect nothing less."
Emory received a "C" grade, which the ADL says means corrections need to be made.
According to data from the school, about 18% of Emory undergraduates and 9% of graduate students are Jewish.
The ADL report pointed to accusations that students were accused of chanting the phrase "From the river to the city" during protests in October. While many Palestinian activists say it’s a call for peace and equality after 75 years of Israeli statehood and decades-long, open-ended Israeli military rule over millions of Palestinians, some Jews hear a clear demand for Israel’s destruction.
After the protest, Emory President Gregory L. Fenves wrote a letter to the campus condemning the protesters' choice of words.
"Your words are powerful. I urge you to use them respectfully and in a manner that values every person at Emory," Fenves wrote.
The ADL's report also mentions multiple instances of alleged harassment of Jewish students, including claims that a student wearing a yarmulke was harassed when he passed by a pro-Palestinian relief organization.
The ADL gave the school credit for having Jewish student organizations, Greek life, and pro-Israel-related programming or activities on campus.
The organization found that 13 schools got failing grades, including Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and Stanford.
Only two schools - Brandeis University and Elon University - received "A" grades.
You can see the full report here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.