University of Michigan didn’t assess if Israel-Hamas war protests made environment hostile, feds say

By COLLIN BINKLEY and ANNIE MA
AP Education Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The University of Michigan failed to assess whether protests and other incidents on campus in response to the Israel-Hamas war created a hostile environment for students, staff and faculty. That’s according to the results of an U.S. Education Department investigation announced Monday. The department’s Office of Civil Rights investigated 75 instances of alleged discrimination and harassment based on shared Jewish ancestry and shared Palestinian or Muslim ancestry. The university has agreed to administer a climate assessment, implement additional training and revise its policies as necessary. The investigation is the first to reach a conclusion among dozens launched by the Education Department since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.