WALLA WALLA, Wash.-Whitman College is being investigated by the Department of Education due to complaints of campus discrimination.
The University of Washington is also reportedly under investigation, as schools and universities across the country become flashpoints over the Israel/Hamas conflict and more schools are investigated.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights investigates complaints or reports of discrimination based on shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Whitman’s President, Sarah Bolton, issued a statement on the violence between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 11.
According to the Department of Education, investigations into both Whitman and the University of Washington were opened on Dec. 8.
OCR publishes an updated list of schools under investigation on the first Wednesday of each month, however, a school’s presence on the list does not mean that a civil rights law was violated, but that a complaint was filed.
The investigation into Whitman is still ongoing and it is unknown what the specific complaint filed against the college alleged. More about OCR’s investigative process is available through the Department of Education.
Whitman College gave the following statement to NonStop Local on Dec. 19, regarding the ongoing discrimination investigation:
“Whitman College is cooperating fully with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) by providing the information requested and learning about the reported incidents. We do not yet know the specifics of the allegations, and the OCR was clear that opening this investigation does not imply any finding of responsibility. We are committed to our ongoing work to combat antisemitism and bias of any kind, and welcome insights the OCR may bring to those efforts.”