California’s public university system is once again drawing scrutiny from the Trump administration.
The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday that it has opened federal civil rights investigations into San Jose State University and San Francisco State University, two institutions in heavily Democratic California, following complaints that Jewish students were subjected to threats, exclusion and a climate of fear amid rising allegations of campus antisemitism.
The inquiries, led by the department’s Office for Civil Rights, will examine whether the schools failed to meet their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination based on shared ancestry or national origin in federally funded education programs.
The new cases add to President Trump’s broader push against colleges and universities his administration says have tolerated left-wing activism while neglecting the safety of Jewish students after Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
Complaints submitted to the Office for Civil Rights allege that Jewish students at San Jose State encountered an increasingly hostile environment, including threats, social isolation and classroom settings where they were made to feel unwelcome because of their Jewish identity.
The filings also cite anti-Israel demonstrations that allegedly interfered with classes, pushed students and employees out of campus areas, and included physical assaults directed at Jewish students.
One claim focuses on an email allegedly sent by the university’s vice president for student affairs, who previously served as interim chief diversity officer, that critics say drew a distinction between “good Jews” and “bad Jews” based on their views of the Israeli government.
San Francisco State University is facing a separate federal review after complaints alleged that faculty members used their positions of influence to contribute to an antisemitic campus atmosphere.
OCR said the allegations include antisemitic graffiti, attempted break-ins targeting Jewish students and campus events featuring extremists with terrorist group ties hosted by the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas program.
Jewish students described the atmosphere at the university as one of “intimidation, exclusion, and fear,” according to the complaints.
Federal officials also pointed to the General Union of Palestine Students, which they identified as a branch of the Palestine Liberation Organization, designated by Congress as a terrorist organization, maintaining its last remaining student chapter at San Francisco State.
The Education Department said both universities allegedly failed to meaningfully respond to repeated reports of antisemitic harassment and, in some instances, appeared to tolerate the behavior.
“Discrimination has no place on college campuses. The same California leaders who wax eloquent about their commitment to ‘equity’ and ‘social justice’ appear to turn their backs on violent, harmful acts of antisemitic intimidation and harassment,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said.
“We will investigate these allegations, ensure the safety of Jewish students, and protect the right of every student in America to an education free from discrimination.”
The investigations add to San Jose State’s mounting legal troubles with the Trump administration.
Earlier this year, OCR found the university violated Title IX by allowing males to compete in women’s sports and use female-only facilities, ruling the school denied women equal educational opportunities and benefits.
The administration later warned San Jose State it risked losing federal funding after refusing to come into compliance.
Thursday’s action also advances Trump’s Jan. 29, 2025 executive order, Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, which declares it is “the policy of the United States to combat anti-Semitism vigorously, using all available and appropriate legal tools.”
Under Title VI, schools receiving federal funds are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin, including allowing hostile environments that deny students equal access to education.
