University President John J. DeGioia declined to sign a statement decrying discrimination against Jewish students on college campuses. The statement, which appeared in an advertisement in the New York Times on Sunday, was signed by 300 university presidents and written in conjunction with the American Jewish Council.
The advertisement reads, “In the past few months, students who are Jewish or supporters of Israel’s right to exist?Zionists?have received death threats and threats of violence … These practices and others, directed against any person, group or cause will not be tolerated on campuses … We call on the American public and all members of the academic community to support us.”
DeGioia was asked to sign the letter, but according to Assistant Vice President for Communications Julie Green Bataille, he declined because the statement did not reference other kinds of discrimination that are just as inappropriate.
“Like some of his counterparts, DeGioia declined to do so because, while agreeing that threats against Jewish students are wrong, the statement itself did not broadly reference discrimination of other kinds is equally inappropriate,” Bataille said.
According to an AJC press release, the statement originated after a series of incidents on college campuses last spring that targeted Jewish students. Seven current and former university presidents, including H. Patrick Swygert, president of Howard University, Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, president of The George Washington University and Theodore M. Hesburgh, president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, drafted the letter.
This summer, DeGioia signed a statement supporting the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that was drafted in response to the bombing at the Mount Scopus campus which killed seven students, including five Americans.
The statement read, “We join The Hebrew University?and all universities?in a global quest to create productive avenues to peace and progress. We send our condolences to the families who mourn the loss of their loved ones and wish those who were injured a complete recovery.”
Rabbi Harold White, senior Jewish chaplain, expressed surprise that DeGioia did not sign the statement. “What troubles me is that he signed the statement supporting the Hebrew University but he didn’t sign this one. It is something I do not understand,” White said.
Although DeGioia did not sign the statement, Bataille emphasized his commitment to a non-discriminatory campus.
“At Georgetown we are committed to an intimidation-free campus and make that clear in University policy and practice. There are numerous opportunities for students, faculty and staff to share diverse religious ethnic and cultural perspectives on campus,” Bataille said.
