The Donald Trump administration is investigating Ohio State University for alleged antisemitic harassment and discrimination on campus. OSU is one of 60 universities to receive a letter from the U.S. The Department of Education warned of potential legal consequences if schools fail to protect Jewish students adequately. The move follows a rise in reported antisemitic incidents after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
Ohio State officials told NBC4 in Columbus that they have not yet received the letter linked to Trump’s January 29 executive order on combating antisemitism. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon emphasized the need for universities to enforce federal anti-discrimination laws. “University leaders must do better,” McMahon stated.
“U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws.”
OSU Among Several Universities Under Scrutiny
Ohio State joins the University of Cincinnati as the two Ohio institutions targeted in the federal probe. Officials also cited several other Big Ten schools, including Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Wisconsin.
The investigation comes amid broader political tensions on campus. Just last week, OSU students protested the university’s decision to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion office and Ohio Senate Bill 1, which seeks to limit DEI efforts. The Donald Trump administration has taken a strong stance against such programs, further fueling student activism.
Additionally, Trump recently called for cutting federal funding to schools that permit “illegal protests”- without specifying which types of demonstrations would qualify.
“All federal funding will stop for any college, school, or university that allows illegal protests,” he posted on social media. “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested.”
With tensions rising on campus and the federal government increasing its scrutiny, OSU now finds itself at the center of a nationwide debate over free speech, antisemitism, and university policies.
