COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio State is one of 60 universities listed to receive a formal warning from the Department of Education, alleging the institutions have not properly protected students from antisemitism.

According to the Department of Education, the letters were sent to all U.S. universities involved in the department’s Office for Civil Rights’ investigations relating to antisemitism on campus. Although the federal department has been clear it will not tolerate universities that allow antisemitism to persist, administrators have not provided specific guidance as to how to prove their compliance.

Ohio State and the University of Cincinnati were the only two Ohio schools named as letter recipients, although Ohio State chief spokesperson Ben Johnson said the university has not yet received the letter.

“Ohio State strongly condemns antisemitism and has no tolerance for acts of hatred or violence,” Johnson said. “We will pursue all action possible against anyone committing hate crimes on or near our campus.”

Why is OSU under investigation?

Among other incidents of antisemitism previously covered by NBC4, two Jewish students were assaulted on campus in November 2023 because of their identities. Around the same time, Jewish student organization Hillel’s offices were vandalized.

Ohio State released a statement condemning both actions, but it faced two federal complaints in the coming months alleging it failed to adequately address antisemitism on campus. See previous coverage of antisemitism allegations at OSU in the video player above.

The first came from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, which opened a Title VI investigation into the school in January 2024. Ohio State was required to submit a definition of “antisemitism,” its anti-discrimination policies, how those policies are communicated to students and staff, and details about all formal and informal complaints of national origin discrimination the university received since the 2021-2022 school year. According to the university’s website, it uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

The second came from three prominent Jewish organizations, who filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights in April 2024. Ohio State said in a response that the complaint contained falsities.

“It is very disappointing that the April 9 filing with the Office of Civil Rights mischaracterizes what is occurring on our campus and dismisses the university’s strong, student-focused response, including outreach and meetings with student groups, additional safety measures, compliance investigations, assisting law enforcement investigations and student conduct referrals,” OSU wrote in response to the April complaint.

How are students responding?

According to Hillel, there are 2,777 undergraduate Jewish students at Ohio State, comprising 6.2% of the undergraduate population. Nate Grossman, director of external relations for OSU Hillel, released a statement regarding the Department of Education’s letter:

“We are aware of the Department of Education’s letter to Ohio State and 59 other schools. We remain in constant communication with university leaders, and we will continue to partner with them to ensure that Ohio State is a safe and welcoming environment for Jewish students,” Grossman said in the statement. “We believe that everyone has a critical role to play in countering antisemitism and ensuring Jewish life on OSU’s campus is strong and vibrant.”

Ohio State is on spring break this week, so many student groups are taking the week off. Ohio Students for Israel celebrated Ohio State and Cincinnati receiving the letters via social media, but did not provide an official statement.

What does this mean for the university?

If the university does not fulfill its Title VI obligations to protect Jewish students, it could risk losing its federal funding. The Trump administration canceled $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University last week, saying the New York university did not properly address antisemitic incidents.

According to OSU’s 2024 fiscal year summary, federal grants and contracts increased by $72 million to the university last year. Federal funding for research and grants specifically has risen over the past few years, hitting $700 million last year, according to the university.

Johnson said Ohio State is committed to combatting antisemitism. Although the letter states funding could be compromised if the universities do not fulfill their Title VI obligations, it does not specifically say how they are expected to show their compliance.

An unofficial copy of the letter sent to OSU says funding will be cut if universities “allow illegal activities and harassment that result in Jewish students losing equal access to school facilities.” The letter also mentions encampments and protests blocking Jewish students from freely exploring campus as examples of universities permitting antisemitism.

Simultaneously, Ohio State is involved in litigation from pro-Palestine protesters arrested by university police in April 2024, who sued the institution and President Ted Carter in December. Carter and Ohio State have moved for the lawsuit to be dismissed, although the litigation continues. According to court documents, the court will hold a virtual pretrial conference about the lawsuit on Wednesday.