After Harvard, George Washington University becomes latest battleground in Trump’s campus crackdown

George Washington, a private university based in the nation’s capital, was home to a weeks-long pro-Palestinian student protest movement last spring.

After Harvard and Columbia University, the Trump administration has now set its sights on George Washington University, escalating its campaign to reshape US higher education in the wake of pro-Palestinian campus protests.

Activists make protest signs inside a pro-Palestinian encampment at George Washington University in Washington. (REUTERS)

The Department of Justice announced this week that George Washington University violated federal civil rights law during pro-Palestinian student protests last year.

George Washington, a private university based in the nation’s capital, was home to a weeks-long pro-Palestinian student protest movement last spring, featuring encampments erected on campus that remained for two weeks.

The campaign fits a pattern: Columbia, Northwestern, Cornell, Brown, and most notably Harvard have all faced similar scrutiny from Trump’s DOJ in recent months.

Accusations against GWU

The administration also accused the university of failing to protect Jewish students amid what officials describe as a climate of antisemitic harassment.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said GWU had been “deliberately indifferent” to alleged antisemitic discrimination and harassment on campus during the protests, in a letter sent to the university’s president, Ellen Granberg.

Dhillon wrote that the DOJ “intends to proceed with enforcement” and is seeking “immediate remediation,” while noting that the university could resolve the issue through a “voluntary resolution agreement.”

While the letter stopped short of specifying what enforcement might look like, the administration has already set a clear precedent: after issuing similar findings at UCLA in July, the White House moved quickly to suspend over $500 million in federal grants, prompting a scramble by university officials to negotiate a deal that reportedly includes financial penalties and political concessions.

GWU's response

The university has received the DOJ letter and is reviewing it, GWU spokesperson Shannon McClendon said.

“GW condemns antisemitism, which has absolutely no place on our campuses or in a civil and humane society,” McClendon said in an emailed statement. “Our actions clearly demonstrate our commitment to addressing antisemitic actions and promoting an inclusive campus environment.”