Reining in Campus Anti-Semitism: Stefanik and Malliotakis Reintroduce the University Accountability Act

By: Fern Sidman

In a bold and urgent response to the alarming surge of anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence on college campuses across the United States, Congresswomen Elise Stefanik, Nicole Malliotakis, and Claudia Tenney have reintroduced the University Accountability Act. The legislation, which was announced on Monday and spearheaded by Stefanik and Malliotakis, is designed to impose severe penalties—including hefty fines and the potential loss of tax-exempt status—on institutions of higher education that fail to protect their students from anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination.

This initiative comes amid a deeply troubling national trend: a sharp rise in anti-Semitism in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. In response to the resulting climate of fear and hostility that many Jewish students now face, the Republican lawmakers are seeking to transform the way the federal government enforces civil rights protections in higher education.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who has emerged as a leading voice against anti-Semitism in education, framed the bill as a necessary corrective to what she calls a moral and legal failure among universities to defend Jewish students.

“I will continue to lead efforts to rid our colleges and universities of anti-Semitism alongside President Trump, who is delivering on his promise to hold these failed institutions accountable for their neglect and abandonment of our Jewish students,” Stefanik said. “The University Accountability Act will impose penalties on universities who violate the civil rights of their own students and put their undeserved tax-exempt status on the chopping block.”

This legislation ties into a broader campaign led by Stefanik and her allies to expose and dismantle an institutional culture of permissiveness toward anti-Semitism in academia.

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), who reintroduced the legislation with Stefanik, stressed the moral and institutional obligation of universities to protect all students, regardless of faith or ethnicity.

“Universities have a responsibility to protect their students from violence and discrimination but, instead, we’re seeing a disturbing increase in anti-Semitic attacks and rhetoric on college campuses,” Malliotakis said. “Our legislation seeks to hold these institutions accountable and encourage them to investigate and crack down on instances of anti-Semitism to help foster a safer academic environment for all students.”

Malliotakis has taken a consistent leadership role in crafting legislation aimed at addressing campus anti-Semitism. Her previous bills, including the Combating Anti-Semitic Messaging and Promoting Unity in School (CAMPUS) Act, have sought to cut federal funding from institutions that give a platform to anti-Semitic groups or individuals. She also introduced the No Visas for Anti-Semitic Students Act, which would revoke the visas of foreign students found to be engaging in anti-Semitic behavior while studying in the United States.

Joining the push for reform is Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY), who added strong support for the legislation. She underscored the need to deny public subsidies to institutions that, in her words, “foster such heinous anti-Semitism.”

“Since the horrific October 7, 2023, attacks, there has been a sharp rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence on campuses, threatening Jewish students,” Tenney stated. “The University Accountability Act ensures that any institution condoning this behavior is penalized by revoking its tax-exempt status and imposing harsh financial penalties. Not a dime of our tax dollars should be used to support colleges and universities that foster such heinous anti-Semitism.”

The legislation represents a significant departure from the current enforcement model under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in any federally funded program. Although Title VI allows for the withdrawal of federal funding, in practice, enforcement typically results in a negotiated resolution—often a mere “corrective action” that allows the institution to avoid real consequences.

The University Accountability Act would create a tougher and more enforceable framework:

Mandatory Financial Penalties: Any institution found in violation would be required to pay a fine of either 5% of its total administrative compensation, as reported on its Form 990 filing with the IRS, or $100,000, whichever is greater.

Three Strikes Clause: If an institution is found to have committed three civil rights violations, the IRS would be required to conduct a review of its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, which could lead to revocation.

Civil Rights Enforcement with Teeth: By elevating the consequences of repeated noncompliance, the bill aims to eliminate the pattern of universities making temporary gestures to appease regulators while continuing to allow environments hostile to Jewish students to persist.

The reintroduction of the University Accountability Act arrives amid an intensifying culture war surrounding American academia. Critics of elite universities have pointed to the apparent tolerance—or even promotion—of anti-Semitic speech and violence as symptomatic of a broader ideological rot that must be excised. Recent protests, controversial speaker invitations, and faculty statements have heightened tensions and raised public scrutiny.

Proponents of the bill argue that higher education has become a breeding ground for selective moral outrage, where anti-Semitism is often rationalized, minimized, or ignored altogether. They cite instances where Jewish students were harassed, excluded from campus organizations, or subjected to violent threats without meaningful institutional responses.

Stefanik, who played a high-profile role in grilling university presidents during congressional hearings on campus anti-Semitism, has positioned the bill as a necessary tool to impose consequences where moral authority and administrative discretion have failed.

This legislation arrives amid a backdrop of mounting complaints and federal investigations into leading universities for their failure to respond effectively to anti-Semitic incidents. From pro-Hamas chants at student rallies to physical assaults on Jewish students, lawmakers argue that campus administrators have either refused to intervene or downplayed anti-Semitism in the name of political neutrality or free expression.

Critics of these institutions argue that the traditional mechanisms of accountability—internal investigations, DEI offices, and student conduct boards—have proven woefully inadequate. Lawmakers supporting the University Accountability Act see these internal systems as ideologically compromised and lacking the will to address anti-Semitism with seriousness and impartiality.

Taken together with previous legislative efforts, the reintroduction of the University Accountability Act sends a clear message: the era of unchecked anti-Semitism on campus may soon come at a financial and legal cost. Lawmakers like Stefanik, Malliotakis, and Tenney are not merely calling for reform—they are threatening the very financial lifeblood of institutions that continue to tolerate discrimination against Jewish students.

If passed, the act could reshape the compliance culture in higher education, signaling a new era of rigorous federal scrutiny and meaningful consequences for civil rights violations. For universities that have long viewed anti-Semitism as a public relations issue rather than a civil rights emergency, the time for accountability may finally be at hand.