University presidents, Republican lawmakers spar over alleged antisemitism on campuses

College presidents faced off with lawmakers on the House Education and Workforce Committee on Wednesday in an at-times contentious congressional hearing examining alleged antisemitism on campus.

But the school leaders' concessions and inability to explain why they didn't follow university policies to remove encampment demonstrations fell short of satisfying Republicans..

When pressed by House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain "How'd that go?" DePaul University President Robert Manuel responded, "Not very well."

"Your apologies are a little hollow," McClain responded.

The hearing, aimed at stopping the alleged spread of antisemitism at colleges and universities, featured the presidents of DePaul University, Haverford College and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Dr. Jeffrey Armstrong of Cal Poly defended his school and its "vibrant" Jewish community.

"We do not tolerate threatening activity," Armstrong said.

"We deploy campus police whenever there is the potential for trouble, and they make arrests and file criminal charges when justified. In addition, when alleged antisemitism or harassment occurs, we investigate and impose immediate university discipline," he added.

In an exchange with Haverford President Wendy Raymond, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., admonished Raymond for her university's lack of transparency in identifying the school's disciplinary actions.

"For the American people watching, you still don't get it -- Haverford still doesn't get it," Stefanik said.

"It's a very different testimony than the other presidents who are here today who are coming with specifics," she added. "So, again, this is completely unacceptable, and it's why this committee stepped in because higher education has failed to address the scourge of antisemitism, putting Jewish students a risk at Haverford and other campuses across the country."

Stefanik has led the charge against antisemitic conduct and harassment on campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel. Her question -- does calling for the genocide of Jews constitute as hate speech on campus? -- became the highlight of the Education and Workforce Committee's historic Dec. 5, 2023, hearing with the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on combating antisemitism.

But the hearing, called "Beyond the Ivy League," is a stark contrast from those featuring the schools on which the committee had typically focused its ire.

This time, the university presidents prepared for Stefanik's grilling. The congresswoman asked if calling for the genocide of Jews is "protected speech" on Haverford's campus. "No, of course not," Raymond replied.

"And what disciplinary action has been taken or would be taken if someone made that call?" Stefanik interjected.

"Representative, there have been no such calls, and we would use all of our disciplinary actions to follow through on any such call," Raymond said. "I would never expect that to happen at Haverford, and if it would, we would deal with that swiftly."

McClain told ABC News after her questioning in the hearing that it isn't Congress' job to get any of the presidents fired but that she thinks it should be "considered."

"All options are on the table," McClain said.

"Actions speak louder than words, right?" McClain added. "There has to be consequences to one's actions. And that's what's not happening at these universities. It's lip service."

All the presidents distanced themselves from the answers made in the Harvard hearing and apologized to their respective Jewish communities for their inaction.

"To our students, our parents, our faculty, our staff, our alumni and our friends, I am deeply sorry," Manuel said. "I know there are areas where we must and will do better."

Manuel also spoke directly to two of his students who were harassed on campus last fall, including Michael Kaminsky, a junior who was in attendance at the hearing on Wednesday and said at a news conference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that he was injured during an assault for being a Jewish American.

"What happened to them was a hate crime. No one should ever be attacked because of who they are. I am sorry for the pain they experienced," he said.

The hearing was the committee's ninth congressional event dedicated to antisemitism since Oct. 7. Despite more than a year of oversight, Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Mich., said universities continue to be infested with antisemitism.

Walberg slammed the presidents testifying on Wednesday, especially Haverford College, saying, "The Haverford administration has consistently refused to act against severe antisemitic harassment on campus. It has refused to even condemn these incidents of harassment or hostility in a clear, unequivocal statement, much less to meaningfully discipline the students responsible for these incidents."

However, the liberal arts school has taken steps to address antisemitism in all its forms, argued Raymond, who repeatedly denounced hate speech on her campus.

"I hear you and acknowledge that we can do better and I can do better," Raymond said.

"To our Jewish students, some of you who are here today, I wish to make it unmistakably clear that you are valued members of our community and on our campus. I am sorry that my actions and my leadership let you down. I remain committed to addressing antisemitism and all issues that harm our community members. I am committed to getting this right," Raymond added.

McClain blasted the "hollow" apologies.

"Why did it take them this long to apologize, No. 1, and why did it take them this long to change their policies?" McClain told ABC News. "If they were truly sorry, it should have happened long, long ago."

She warned colleges and universities that fostering antisemitism on campus could lead to monetary consequences, including the loss of federal funding.

"The only thing that these universities respect is the dollar," McClain said. "I know it shouldn't be like that, but that gets their attention."

Meanwhile, Democrats claimed the dismantling of the Department of Education's civil rights divisions, which conducts investigations on the issues the committee is bringing up in its hearings, runs counter to Republicans' work to eliminate antisemitism on college campuses.

"We have in place systems to hold universities who receive federal money -- to hold them accountable for discrimination that occurs on the basis of religion," said Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., who later stormed out of the hearing during Stefanik's questioning.

Ranking member Bobby Scott, D-Va., said the department has a backlog of 12,000 open civil rights cases but that the agency has slashed half its staff and shuttered regional civil rights offices across the country.

"One is left to wonder how can OCR carry out its important responsibilities with half the staff?" Scott asked.

Jewish Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., said she can no longer pretend the antisemitism crusade is a "good faith" effort by her Republican colleagues on the committee.

"Instead of engaging with this topic genuinely and constructively, we have another performative hearing," Bonamici said. "It's another chapter in the majority's battle against higher education."