Swarthmore Faces Allegations of Discrimination Against Muslim Students
The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia), together with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and members of Swarthmore College, announced the filing of a Title VI complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.
The 32-page complaint alleges that Swarthmore College has created a hostile environment for Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, and Jewish students and faculty who oppose practices like occupation, apartheid, and genocide.
During a press conference, CAIR-Philadelphia's Legal Director, Adam Alaa Attia, expressed disappointment that an institution of Swarthmore’s “caliber would repeatedly fail its community members and foster an unsafe environment.”
He emphasized that the complaint aims to remind Swarthmore’s leadership of its responsibility toward its diverse community, including addressing “anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bias,” CAIR’s website reported on Tuesday.
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The complaint details instances of alleged discrimination, including what students describe as delayed responses to bias reports, disciplinary actions against students advocating for Palestine, and failure to address safety concerns raised by Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students.
Swarthmore College student Ragad A. cited a delay of nearly a year in processing her bias report, adding that anti-genocide students face an atmosphere of “dehumanization and disrespect” on campus.
Encampment protests in solidarity with Palestine swept across the United States since April. Protestors urged their institutions to divest from companies that support the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, where more than 43,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in one year.
Fatima Hmada, another Swarthmore student, reported the college spent “tens of thousands” on a private law firm to pursue disciplinary action against her, asserting this was due to her demands that Swarthmore uphold values aligned with social justice rather than supporting an ongoing genocide.
She and others at the event invoked Swarthmore’s history of protest against apartheid in South Africa and the Vietnam War, stating that this legacy has influenced their actions.
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Professors Ahmad Shokr and Farha Ghannam, also involved in the complaint, commended students for their “moral courage” and commitment to holding the college accountable.
The professors noted the complaint was the product of months of research, describing it as evidence of how Swarthmore has “failed its own community.”
The complaint calls on the college to review its policies and make changes to protect students’ rights.
Swarthmore alum and Jewish Voice for Peace member Dani Noble voiced her concerns, referencing recent incidents where Jewish students were allegedly targeted for observing religious holidays and Palestinian and Muslim students faced administrative pushback for speaking out on social justice.
The Title VI complaint underscores how many Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and their allies feel “targeted, threatened, and unsafe” on campus, CAIR reported.
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Allegations include restrictions on speech and campus activities, especially for those advocating for Palestinian rights, along with a lack of due process in disciplinary cases against these students.
Reports of disbanded Islamic Studies programming and statements supportive only of Israeli victims further underscore the claim that Swarthmore’s administration is unresponsive to the needs of its Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students.
Source: Agencies
