New York, NY — Following efforts led by Councilwoman Vernikov and other advocates to address rampant antisemitism on CUNY campuses, the independent investigation commissioned by Governor Hochul and conducted by Judge Jonathan Lippman has confirmed and reinforced the need for a significant overhaul of CUNY’s discrimination policies and handling of antisemitism on its campuses. Councilwoman Vernikov is happy to see this, but all the more determined to see through the various recommendations in the report — including a complete overhaul of the functionality of CUNY’s online complaint portal and implementing consequences for openly biased faculty members — which stem from concerns raised by Councilwoman Vernikov nearly a year ago.
The investigation, commissioned after a surge in antisemitic hate incidents that became particularly significant in the months following the October 7th attacks, revealed a series of systemic failures across CUNY’s campuses and detailed an alarming lack of oversight and inconsistent handling of complaints.
“While I’m pleased to see that many of the recommendations reflect the concerns we raised, as Judge Lippman pointed out, ‘simply committing to these recommendations is not enough.’ We need rigorous enforcement and consistency in applying the rules to ensure that Jewish students and faculty are protected,” said Councilwoman Inna Vernikov. “CUNY must act now to create a safe environment for all students.”
Read the full report HERE.
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