New York's junior U.S. senator joined 29 other senators in announcing the introduction of a bipartisan bill that would address the rise in recent years of antisemitic sentiment and action on college campuses, particularly since the terrorist attack on Israel last October. Kirsten Gillibrand says the Antisemitism Awareness Act would require the U.S. Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.
Gillibrand says, "In recent years, and especially over the past several months, we have seen a disturbing rise in antisemitism across the country and on our college campuses. This rise is unacceptable, and we must do more to protect our students. The Antisemitism Awareness Act would ensure the Department of Education has the right legal definitions needed to take action against all forms of antisemitism on our college campuses. No student should ever be the victim of antisemitic discrimination, and I am committed to working with my colleagues to get this vital bill passed."
Since 2018, the Department of Education has used the IHRA definition when investigating violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
