By: Fern Sidman

In a significant moment of federal accountability that reverberates through the academic and Jewish communities alike, the Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV) has publicly praised the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for issuing a formal Notice of Violation to Harvard University. The OCR’s notice, following a 19-month investigation, found that Harvard allowed a “hostile environment” for Jewish students to fester—replete with antisemitic threats, intimidation, and violence—in clear violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The investigation’s findings mark a watershed in the ongoing national reckoning over campus antisemitism, bringing into sharp relief the legal and moral responsibilities of educational institutions in protecting Jewish students from discrimination and harassment. Media outlets have reported that the decision could carry serious implications not only for Harvard’s policies but for the wider university system’s approach to religious and ethnic bias in the wake of intensifying campus activism and ideological polarization.

“This is a long overdue moment of accountability,” declared Rabbi Yonah Gross, CJV’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Vice President, in a strongly worded statement. “For too long, elite institutions have tolerated — and in some cases enabled — open hostility toward Jewish students under the guise of political expression. The federal government’s recognition of this reality is a critical step toward restoring equal protection and moral clarity on our campuses.”

The OCR’s investigation stems from growing concerns among Jewish students, alumni, and civil rights advocates that antisemitic incidents have surged across American campuses in recent years—particularly under the rubric of anti-Zionist or anti-Israel sentiment. The OCR’s conclusion that Harvard violated federal civil rights law by failing to act against such hostility sets a precedent with far-reaching consequences.

While Harvard has yet to issue a formal public response to the OCR’s violation notice, university officials have in the past expressed general commitments to “diversity and inclusion,” though critics argue such language has done little to stem rising antisemitic incidents.

In contrast, CJV President Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld made clear that words without action are no longer sufficient. “We urge Harvard and all institutions of higher learning to take this finding seriously,” Schonfeld stated. “And consider, as well, the people they hire and the curricula they publish. Along with the simple principle that no student should be forced to choose between their education and their identity, we must also state that no university should permit indoctrination of students with antisemitic propaganda or any other form of bigotry.”

The OCR’s finding follows similar investigations underway at several other major universities, including Columbia, NYU, and the University of Pennsylvania, where Jewish students have also reported sustained harassment and exclusion.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. While religion is not explicitly listed in Title VI, the OCR has increasingly interpreted antisemitic harassment—especially when tied to ethnic or ancestral identity—as falling within the law’s purview.

The Trump administration has expressed a firm commitment to addressing antisemitism on campus. However, enforcement has varied in practice, often depending on the pressure exerted by outside advocacy groups, civil rights complaints, and congressional oversight.

The OCR’s enforcement action against Harvard is one of the most high-profile cases to date, and media reports have emphasized that it may represent a turning point in the federal government’s willingness to hold prestigious institutions accountable for antisemitic climates.

The Coalition for Jewish Values sees it as exactly that.

“This isn’t merely about Harvard,” said Rabbi Gross. “It’s about setting a legal and cultural precedent that no American university—no matter how wealthy or powerful—is above the law when it comes to civil rights.”

Founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Coalition for Jewish Values represents more than 2,500 traditional Orthodox rabbis across the United States, making it the largest rabbinic public policy organization in the country. CJV is known for its robust advocacy of religious liberty, human rights, and what it describes as classical Jewish values in the context of American public life.

The organization has taken an increasingly active role in recent years in pushing back against campus antisemitism, advocating for equal protection under civil rights laws, and confronting what it sees as a dangerous blurring of lines between political activism and ethnic hatred.

The OCR’s finding against Harvard, CJV leaders say, validates their long-standing concerns and sets in motion a broader national conversation about what schools must do—not merely to protect Jewish students—but to reject antisemitism in all its ideological guises, from neo-Nazism to extremist anti-Zionism.

“Jewish students should never be forced to walk to class wondering whether today is the day someone will harass them for wearing a kippah, attending Hillel, or expressing support for Israel,” Rabbi Schonfeld stated. “This is America. Civil rights protections apply to all.”

Following the Notice of Violation, Harvard has a legally mandated period during which it must respond to the OCR’s findings, either by entering into a resolution agreement or facing the potential withdrawal of federal funding. Such agreements typically require schools to revise policies, offer staff training, and demonstrate measurable improvements in campus climate and responsiveness.

The Coalition for Jewish Values, for its part, says it will continue to monitor the process closely, and not just at Harvard.

“Our work doesn’t stop with a single notice or a single campus,” Rabbi Gross affirmed. “This is about ensuring that every Jewish student in this country is treated with dignity and respect. We’ll continue to hold institutions accountable and support every effort to enforce civil rights laws to their fullest.”

As the American campus continues to be a battleground for ideological contestation and cultural identity, the question of how to protect vulnerable students—without suppressing legitimate debate—remains among the thorniest challenges in higher education today.

What is no longer in dispute is this: when free expression is weaponized to harass, threaten, or exclude, it ceases to be protected speech—and becomes a civil rights violation. The OCR’s finding is, in that sense, not just a regulatory ruling, but a moral declaration.

And for the Coalition for Jewish Values, it is a long-awaited vindication.