On Thursday, January 16, GW entered into a voluntary resolution agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) resolving two complaints filed in 2023 in which the university committed to actions that will continue to enhance and expand efforts to address and combat discrimination and harassment. The investigation concluded without any finding that GW was in violation of Title VI nor any other law. GW is obligated to define harassment consistent with the requirements of Title VI. GW will continue to abide by applicable standards under Title VI when investigating complaints, as informed by the OCR guidance in “Combatting Discrimination Against Jewish Students,” and “Know Your Rights: Title VI and Religion.” Assertions by advocates that other definitions or standards were material to these discussions is a mischaracterization.
In the voluntary agreement, which is similar to agreements recently adopted by a wide variety of other universities, GW commits among other things to: evaluating several policies to ensure that they articulate standards and procedures about discrimination and demonstrations; expanding its maintenance of complaint records related to national origin; implementing additional training on discrimination and harassment for faculty, staff, and students; and conducting a climate survey that measures the level of perceived discrimination or harassment based on national origin at the university. In addition, the university agreed to correct the records related to actions taken involving several students. The agreement builds on GW’s substantial ongoing efforts to uphold commitments under Title VI and reflects GW’s desire to continue strengthening fair treatment of all members of the University community. In recent months, GW has launched a new Center for Interfaith and Spiritual Life and hosted events and discussions to encourage dialogue and deepen understanding of religion and conflict.
The university remains committed to addressing and combating antisemitism, Islamophobia, and discrimination and harassment in all forms. GW’s strengths continue to lie in our diversity, empathy, engagement, and shared commitment to learning and growth. We are dedicated to fostering an environment where all experiences are valued, points of view are respected, and members of our community are supported.