In a disturbing revelation, Jewish students at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, have reported being subjected to anti-Semitic harassment, including being taunted with slurs and splattered with imitation blood.
Shockingly, instead of taking decisive action against the perpetrators, the university's administrators advised the students to "hide their Jewish identity to avoid being targeted," as per a federal civil rights complaint lodged against the institution on Thursday.
The students reported that pro-Hamas activists targeted them during the High Holiday of Sukkot, staging a protest adjacent to their religious ceremony and scrawling "inflammatory anti-Semitic messages" near the service, including Go Away Nazis."
As reported by The Washington Free Beacon, the complaint also detailed other incidents where the activists disrupted a vigil for victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks by drawing a "Zio Corner" chalk circle around it and hurling red paint at Jewish students, symbolizing the "blood of martyrs."
The university's response to these incidents was to suggest that the students could evade such occurrences by appearing less Jewish. "The message from the University to Jewish students is clear: downplay your Jewish identity on campus or hide to avoid being targeted because the University will not protect you," the complaint, filed by the Brandeis Center to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in conjunction with the Anti-Defamation League and StandWithUs, stated.
This alarming news emerged just a day after the Trump administration's Department of Justice initiated a comprehensive anti-Semitism investigation into the University of California public school system's alleged "pattern or practice of discrimination" against Jewish students. The fact that Cal Poly Humboldt is not part of the UC system suggests that the issue of anti-Semitism extends beyond California's primary university system.
The campus Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish religious organization that serves as a community hub for Jewish students, appears to have been a primary target of the anti-Semitic harassment at Cal Poly Humboldt. Zachary Mink, a Jewish senior at the university, recounted his experience of relentless harassment following his publication of an opinion column in the student newspaper expressing his unease with pro-Hamas activism on campus. The harassment was so severe that Mink resorted to concealing his face with a mask and hoodie on campus, lodging a civil rights complaint with the school, and completing his coursework online.
"I told myself, I'm doing school online, I can't handle this," Mink shared with the Washington Free Beacon. "I couldn't complete assignments, just from the harassment I was experiencing by my peers I had to see every day."
The Brandeis Center has also filed similar complaints against Scripps College and the Etiwanda School District, both based in California, detailing comparable incidents. Jewish students at Scripps reported being criticized for wearing identifiably religious items, such as Star of David necklaces, and those perceived as "Zionists" were allegedly prohibited from holding meetings or working at the student-run union hall.
At Etiwanda Intermediate School, a 12-year-old girl was reportedly subjected to repeated harassment by other students who assaulted her with sticks, made jokes about Nazi Germany, and told her to "shut [her] stupid Jewish ass up," according to the complaint.
The school was aware of this hostile environment but failed to take reasonable responsive action to eliminate the hostility and prevent its recurrence. These incidents underscore the urgent need for institutions to take a firm stand against anti-Semitism and ensure the safety and dignity of all students.
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