{"id":1270,"date":"2024-01-11T16:49:20","modified":"2024-09-02T20:24:19","slug":"fetterman-cassidy-casey-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-combat-discrimination-on-college-campuses","link":"https:\/\/www.fetterman.senate.gov\/fetterman-cassidy-casey-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-combat-discrimination-on-college-campuses\/","title":{"rendered":"Fetterman, Cassidy, Casey Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Combat Discrimination on College Campuses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"eop\"><b>WASHINGTON, DC \u2013<\/b><\/span><span class=\"eop\"> Pennsylvania U.S. Senator John Fetterman and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), along with Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), today introduced legislation to address discrimination on college and university campuses. The <i>Protecting Students on Campus Act <\/i>would inform students of their right to file a civil rights complaint with the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education if they experience discrimination based on their race, color, or national origin.<\/span><span class=\"eop\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\"><b>\u201cDiversity is our strength as a country. No student should face hostility or violence for who they are, what they look like, where they\u2019re from, or what they believe,\u201d <\/b><\/span><span class=\"normaltextrun\">said Senator Fetterman.<b> \u201cAmid a despicable rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia in our country, I am proud to introduce this bill with my colleagues to empower students facing discrimination to take action and hold universities accountable in protecting students.\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\"><b>\u201cNo student should be harassed or attacked at school just because of who they are,\u201d<\/b><\/span><span class=\"normaltextrun\"> said Dr. Cassidy.<b> \u201cThis legislation holds colleges and universities accountable and ensures discrimination against students is never ignored.\u201d<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\"><b>\u201cDiscrimination should never stand in the way of a student\u2019s education,\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/span><span class=\"normaltextrun\">said Senator Casey.<b>\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m proud to join Senators Fetterman and Cassidy to cosponsor this bill to bolster students\u2019 ability to report incidents of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination. Our students deserve accountability when they\u2019re made to feel unsafe in the classroom.\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">The <i>Protecting Students on Campus Act <\/i>would:<\/span><span class=\"eop\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">Empower students by improving awareness of how to report alleged civil rights violations regarding race, color, or national origin.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">Require colleges and universities that receive federal funding to post on their homepage a link to OCR\u2019s website where students can submit complaints.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">Require colleges and universities that receive federal funding to post materials on how to file OCR complaints in physical locations on campus and online, including accessible elements such as auditory assistance to maximize all students\u2019 awareness of the OCR complaint process.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">Require OCR to brief Congress monthly on:<\/span>\n<ul type=\"circle\">\n<li class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">The number of complaints OCR receives<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">OCR\u2019s plans to address those complaints<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">How long complaints have been pending with OCR<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">Require the ED Inspector General to audit colleges and universities that report the highest number of discrimination complaints relative to their student population.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">Prohibit OCR from closing or dismissing complaints due to resolutions by another federal, state, or local civil rights enforcement agency to ensure students receive justice.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has a responsibility to ensure university programs or activities that receive federal funds do not discriminate against students based on their race, color, or national origin. Complaints filed by students who face discrimination, or on their behalf, are handled by ED\u2019s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). This legislation would ensure that colleges and universities that receive federal funding, such as federal student aid, properly inform students of their right to file OCR discrimination complaints. It would also provide accountability to ensure OCR properly investigates alleged discrimination so colleges and universities can maintain a safe learning environment for all students.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">This bipartisan legislation comes amid <\/span><a title=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/10\/29\/us\/hate-crimes-antisemitism-anti-muslim-dg\/index.html\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/10\/29\/us\/hate-crimes-antisemitism-anti-muslim-dg\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">rising antisemitic, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic activity on college campuses and nationwide<\/span><\/a><span class=\"normaltextrun\"> following the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas militants and Israel\u2019s ensuing bombardment of Gaza. There have been a reported 2,031 antisemitic incidents nationwide in the eight weeks following October 7<sup>th <\/sup>\u2013 a 337 percent increase from the same period last year, and 2,171 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents or requests for help in the same period \u2013 a 172 percent increase from the previous year, including the shooting of three Palestinian-American college students in Burlington, VT on November 25th.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><span class=\"normaltextrun\">A one-pager on the legislation can be found <a title=\"https:\/\/www.help.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/final_antisemitism_bill_one_pager.pdf\" contenteditable=\"false\" href=\"https:\/\/www.help.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/final_antisemitism_bill_one_pager.pdf\">here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false}}