GOP lawmakers question Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA leaders over university protests and alleged anti-Semitism

Lawmakers on the Republican-led House Education Committee questioned more university leaders Thursday, insisting they defend their handling of pro-Palestinian protests and respond to allegations of anti-Semitism on campus .

As in previous hearings, there were heated exchanges between lawmakers and school officials over what Republicans, in particular, make the election year issue.

Leaders from Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA were called as key witnesses for the committee, joining previous appearances by leaders from Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University in part of a months-long investigation which, according to the committee, aims to eradicate anti-Semitism.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, who often took the lead in questioning, focused on Northwestern Chairman Michael Schill. The New York Republican blasted Schill for his university's response to anti-Semitism, citing the Anti-Defamation League which gave the school an “F” rating.

Schill, who is Jewish, acknowledged several incidents cited by Stefanik about Jewish students who she said were physically and verbally assaulted, but also repeatedly said they were under investigation.

MORE: College presidents asked about efforts to combat anti-Semitism on campus

“We believe in investigations,” he said. “I won’t be able to tell you that they will be finalized.”

“But is it a fact that you said there have been no suspensions, no expulsions with numerous investigations underway?” » asked Stefanik.

Northwestern's president acknowledged that no students have been suspended but reiterated that investigations are ongoing.

During his opening speech, Schill pledged to crack down on anti-Semitism and admitted that “our existing rules and policies are not up to the task.”

“We will reconstitute a working group that will benefit from information from other working groups,” he said. “We will revise our student code, we will strengthen its enforcement, (and) we will increase our security and we will do what we do best, which is teach our students about the dangers of anti-Semitism.”

Throughout the hearing, Democrats, including Reps. Haley Stevens of Michigan and Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, grew frustrated with their Republican colleagues.

Bonamici called out what she called the hypocrisy of Republicans who she said would not denounce a video posted on former President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform that contained Nazi language. The post was deleted the next day and the Trump campaign claimed it was not a campaign video but rather a random online video reposted by a staffer who did not see the phrase .

MORE: Trump deletes social media video about election victory referencing 'unified Reich' after facing backlash

“Did any of my colleagues on this committee denounce this and ask the candidate that most of them supported to remove it,” Bomamici said, adding: “It puzzles me that some people oppose anti-Semitism when it is politically convenient instead of anything.” it rears its ugly head.

Stevens strongly condemned the premise of the hearing.

“It is deeply frustrating and concerning that this is the third hearing we have had on equal protection for students when every one of my colleagues in Congress in the last term voted to exclude a group of students from receiving educational resources. mental health,” she said.

Although Northwestern is a private institution, the principals of Rutgers and UCLA are the only public school leaders to testify since committee hearings that began in December.

The five-and-a-half-month election campaign has so far resulted in investigations into every school, the subsequent ousting of two university presidents – Harvard's Claudine Gay and Penn's Liz Magill – and even the first subpoena to appear by a university's Congress over the more than 150-year history of this committee.

Before the commission's first two hearings and at other House events, Jewish students at these schools participated in news conferences and roundtable discussions detailing their fears and frustrations with campus leaders .

Last month, as university protests against Israel's war with Hamas boiled over, House Education Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx said her panel had a “clear message for leaders of eccentric and soulless universities: Congress will not tolerate your failure in your duty to your Jews.” students.”

She complained that UCLA did not act quickly enough to expel the protesters and that Rutgers and Northwestern officials negotiated with them.

During the same press conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson expanded the committee's anti-Semitism investigation to a House-wide investigation after weeks of protests on college campuses, which included encampments at schools including Columbia University.

MORE: President Johnson, House Republicans step up criticism of 'out of control' university protests

Thursday's hearing comes after Colombia's main graduation ceremony was canceled and several pro-Palestinian protests were allowed at universities across the country.

UCLA became a hotspot for nationwide campus protests earlier this month when violent clashes broke out between protesters and counterprotesters while police apparently stood aside.

Earlier this week, former UCLA Police Chief John Thomas was temporarily reassigned, pending a review of the school's security processes, the school said in a statement to ABC News.

Foxx insisted to ABC News that the education committee is not there to go after university presidents, saying the committee's goal is to hold them accountable and maintain environments safe learning environments for students.

ABC News' Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.

GOP lawmakers question Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA leaders over university protests, alleged anti-Semitism originally appeared on abcnews.go.com