The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a civil rights investigation into Lincoln Memorial University due to claims of discrimination against Jewish students, as announced by federal officials on Friday.
This inquiry, spearheaded by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, will look into whether the university has participated in discriminatory practices. This includes allegations that its DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine deliberately hindered Jewish students from completing their exams during the spring semester.
The investigation will be carried out under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Both laws prohibit discrimination based on race, color, or national origin by institutions that receive federal funding. Federal officials have indicated that antisemitism may be considered discrimination based on race or national origin according to existing legal standards.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated that the department is dedicated to tackling what she referred to as an increase in antisemitism on college campuses following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“All students should be free to learn and train in environments free from discrimination,” said Paula M. Stannard, director of the Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, adding that the office will work to ensure federal civil rights laws are enforced in educational and medical training institutions.
Lincoln Memorial University, a private institution based in Harrogate, Tennessee, operates the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine across multiple campuses in Harrogate, Knoxville and Orange Park.
