ADL gives Penn a ‘D' and Princeton an ‘F' in antisemitism report card

A new report from the Anti-Defamation League says that more than a dozen universities fail or nearly fail at protecting Jewish students from antisemitism on campus, including Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania.

ADL’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card gathered marks based on school policies, incidents and Jewish student life on campus.

Penn received a D grade, while Princeton was given an F, one of the worst grades in the entire report.

“Princeton has a recent history of anti-Israel activism on campus and the school has hosted antisemitic speakers," the ADL’s report card states. "In February 2023, the university hosted Palestinian writer and poet Mohammed El-Kurd, who called Jewish organizations 'agents of apartheid' and expressed support for Hamas’ actions on October 7. A 2019 guest speaker told a student veteran of the Israel Defense Forces that he should “feel shame” for his role as a “concentration camp guard."

Penn's D rating comes months after former Penn President Liz Magill and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Scott Bok, both resigned amid widespread criticism of the school's handling of on-campus antisemitic incidents.

Magill’s testimony during a hearing on Penn’s and other colleges' responses to antisemitism was widely criticized after she was seemingly unable to condemn calls for genocide against Jewish people when prompted by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY.

On Friday, a Penn spokesperson said the “ADL’s work to combat antisemitism is vital."

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"We value its expertise and ongoing engagement as we actively work to prevent antisemitism on our campus, now and for the long term," the Penn spokesperson said. "We recognize we have more work to do and are undertaking it with urgency and focus.

"The University of Pennsylvania celebrates our robust Jewish community and strives to be a place where all Jewish students, faculty, and staff can thrive. Penn has repeatedly condemned antisemitism, emphatically and unconditionally. We are implementing a comprehensive Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism and have taken decisive and significant action to ensure safety and security on our campus. We have hosted multiple experts and panels to provide knowledge about the history of antisemitism and strategies to prevent it. Over the past few months, our Antisemitism Task Force has worked diligently to provide interim recommendations and will soon offer additional action steps Penn can take for enduring impact.” 

NBC10 also reached out to Princeton University for comment. We have not yet heard back from them.

Colleges across the United States --- including Harvard and MIT --- have been accused of being unwilling and unable to protect their Jewish students following the Israel-Hamas war. Former Harvard President Claudine Gay also resigned following remarks made in front of Congress.

Drexel University and the University of Delaware both were given a B grade, while Lehigh University received a C.