University of Michigan Faces Complaint for Discrimination Against Muslim, Arab Students

IQNA – A Muslim-American civil rights group has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, urging an investigation into whether the University of Michigan has failed to protect Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and South Asian students from discrimination.

The complaint, filed on Wednesday by the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), follows the release of a leaked audio recording.

The recording, purportedly featuring University President Santa Ono, suggests that universities are being pressured to prioritize addressing antisemitism over Islamophobia. "To have the government say that we will withhold your $2bn in federal funding if you don't address antisemitism," Ono allegedly said in the recording leaked by the Tahrir Coalition on October 6. He added, "The government could call me tomorrow and say in a very unbalanced way the university is not doing enough to combat antisemitism."

The speaker also mentioned "powerful groups" holding universities accountable for not addressing antisemitism, noting that congressional hearings on university campuses focus almost entirely on antisemitism.

The University of Michigan has been a focal point for student protests against the Israeli war on Gaza. This past spring semester, students set up encampments on campus, demanding the university divest from companies profiting from the war. In May, police in riot gear cleared the encampments, using pepper spray on protesters and arresting several individuals.

"We know that our university will use every avenue of repression possible to protect its investments in and profits from genocide but that our movement will be victorious," the Tahrir Coalition stated, according to the Middle East Eye. "Santa Ono will never be able to wash himself clean of his crimes against humanity and his memory will forever stain the legacy of this university."

CAIR-MI's complaint asserts that the university administration has ignored multiple attempts to address concerns about disparate treatment of Muslims, Palestinians, Arabs, South Asians, and their pro-Palestinian allies.

The group is calling for an investigation to determine if the university is in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded institutions.

“We urge President Ono to do what is right and ensure that the University of Michigan is in compliance with its obligations under federal and state law to ensure that no students, staff, or faculty experience a hostile environment on campus due to Islamophobia or anti-Arab bias," said Amy Doukoure, CAIR-MI staff attorney. "There can be no excuse or exceptions for the University of Michigan’s failure to address Islamophobia on campus simply because of pressure from powerful groups or politicians with political agendas."

Source: Agencies