The University of Vermont has voluntarily agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to end an investigation into antisemitism on campus.
The resolution calls for the university to update its equal opportunity and anti-harassment policies and procedures to make clear that discrimination and harassment based on identity is unacceptable, as well as provide anti-harassment training for the university’s senior leadership. The university is also required to file updates on its progress with the Department of Education through 2025.
“I am grateful for the University of Vermont’s commitment to address antisemitic harassment that violates federal civil rights law,” assistant secretary for civil rights Catherine E. Lhamon said in a statement. “Everyone has a right to learn in an environment free from antisemitic harassment. We will be watching to be sure these students are safe.”
But in announcing the agreement on Monday, the federal office also noted investigators’ concerns that UVM president Suresh Garimella’s initial response to the probe may have had a chilling effect on students who wanted to file complaints by perpetuating a “hostile environment.”
The agreement was in response to a complaint filed in October 2021 by the advocacy organizations Jewish on Campus and the Louis D. Brandeis Center, which alleged that the university failed to adequately address reports of harassment directed at Jewish students. Among the allegations: vandalism of the UVM Hillel building and social media posts by a teaching assistant threatening to lower the grades of Zionist Jews, a faction of Judaism that identifies Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. There were also allegations that student groups excluded Jewish peers from participating.
The complaint contended that by failing to intervene, UVM had violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in educational institutions that receive federal funding.
“I’m hopeful that the resolution agreement that the university has reached reflects a better understanding on the part of the university and the president of all of the different ways that antisemitism can manifest,” Alyza Lewin, president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center, said in an interview with Seven Days on Monday. “Now, the question is, will the university not only make these modifications but actually enforce them?”
In a press release about the resolution, the federal civil rights office noted that “the university’s Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Office declined to investigate any of the complaints, even though [complainants] notified the university regarding serious allegations of harassment.
“The university also delayed taking any responsive steps to the reports of harassment,” the release said.
After the complaint came to light last year, Garimella issued a combative statement denying the allegations, asserting that news coverage had “painted our community in a patently false light.”
In the report published on Monday — which outlined the university’s negligence — the Department of Education said it interviewed seven UVM employees and one former employee and requested interviews with several students who had either complained about harassment or witnessed it. None of those students responded.
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By initially denying the allegations, the federal agency said, Garimella “may have discouraged students and staff from raising further concerns with the university or with participating in the OCR investigation.”
But prior to the conclusion of the investigation, UVM expressed an interest in resolving it, and the Department of Education agreed. The federal agency noted that UVM “has taken numerous steps to demonstrate support for Jewish students, faculty, and staff.” In an email sent to students announcing the resolution, Garimella appeared to back off his earlier assertions, noting that “UVM unequivocally condemns, and will not tolerate, antisemitism in any form.”
“With today’s resolution agreement, UVM is redoubling its efforts to ensure this commitment is as tangible to the campus community as possible moving forward,” he said.
Read the Department of Education’s full letter below:
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