by Delilah Brumer
A committee probing alleged antisemitism at Denver’s Auraria Campus heard Wednesday from First Amendment and civil rights scholars, as well as the Anti-Defamation League and members of the public.
The 10-member Colorado Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights oversees an investigation into the Auraria Campus, site of the University of Colorado Denver, Community College of Denver and Metropolitan State University of Denver.
In April 2024, anti-war demonstrators set up an encampment on the Auraria Campus quad, in protest of university policies relating to Israel and the war in Gaza. They called for the university to condemn “the genocidal actions of Israel,” divest from companies that operate in Israel and end study abroad programs in Israel. At least 40 demonstrators were arrested when police in riot gear broke up the encampment.
Susan Rona, of the Anti-Defamation League’s mountain states region, said during the virtual committee hearing that her organization received reports of 279 antisemitic incidents in Colorado in 2024, and 51 of those reports were on college campuses. The statewide tally is 42% higher compared to the previous year.
“Many Jewish students report feeling isolated, targeted and excluded from campus activity and spaces by these protests,” Rona said.
In response to last year’s anti-war encampments on college campuses across the country, the Trump administration has targeted universities like Harvard and Columbia for antisemitism probes and research funding freezes.
“We must distinguish between protected speech and conduct that violates civil rights, and we must hold our public institutions accountable when they fall short,” Committee Chair Alvina Earnhart said. “This project reflects our deep commitment to safeguarding both civil rights and freedom of expression.”
The committee’s goal with the investigation is to “contribute to more informed approaches to federal, state, and education policy in higher education and develop recommendations” directed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and other federal entities.
During the committee meeting, University of Virginia law professor Deborah Hellman outlined the high bar that claims must meet to be considered violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which the Trump administration has invoked in its crackdown on universities. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.
“Antisemitism, to be sure, ought to be condemned, but universities have a right and a responsibility to balance open inquiry with protecting students,” Hellman said.
Community responses
Brandon Rattiner, the senior director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Colorado, said in an interview with Colorado Newsline that he hopes the work of the committee can spotlight “the experiences that made life on campus really difficult for Jewish students, and also create pressure for universities to do better.”
But, he cautioned, the committee should not use campus antisemitism as a way to attack higher education as a whole.
“The challenge is balancing the need to take antisemitism seriously with the need to not instrumentalize the fight against antisemitism to achieve other political aims,” Rattiner said. “The Jewish community is a community that is very committed to higher education, and we want to see it done well.”
About a dozen people gave written or spoken testimony at the hearing, including Jeffrey Mühlrad, who is affiliated with Jewish Voice for Peace and was involved in the encampment.
“We are not calling for divestment out of hatred, but out of love — for human life, for justice, and for the values our institutions claim to uphold,” Mühlrad wrote. “To conflate that call with antisemitism is not only incorrect, but dangerous. It undermines the real fight against antisemitism by weaponizing it to silence legitimate political expression and dissent.”
Nancy Jackson, a Jewish alumna of the University of Colorado system, submitted written testimony to the commission. Jackson, a former teacher, called for the federal government to “uphold the First Amendment rights for everyone, including college students, whether from the U.S., or anywhere.”
“Antisemitism refers to hatred of Jewish people, and as you no doubt know, Jews have been the victims of horrendous acts of violence because of antisemitism,” Jackson wrote. “What we have on campuses today, however, is different. What is occurring is political protest against Israeli policies towards Palestinians, especially in Gaza.”
Since Israel’s intense bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza began after Oct. 7, 2023, when a Hamas-led attack killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, at least 55,100 Palestinians are reported to have been killed, while many more have been injured and face widespread hunger.
The committee’s next public meeting is scheduled for July 31, and its next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 20. Administrators for the three campuses are set to testify during the August hearing.
This article first appeared in Colorado Newsline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
