Education Department widens Swarthmore antisemitism probe over SJP effigy video
The US Education Department's Office for Civil Rights has expanded its Title VI investigation of Swarthmore College to cover a video of an Israeli soldier burned in effigy, reposted by the Students for Justice in Palestine account. The college says it does not control the account.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2The US Department of Education has expanded its existing investigation of Swarthmore College, a private liberal arts school in Pennsylvania, over alleged antisemitism on campus. JNSR “The U.S. Department of Education is expanding its Jew-hatred probe of Swarthmore College, a private liberal arts school in Pennsylvania” Read at JNS ↗ Just the NewsRC “has expanded its Title VI investigation into Swarthmore College over allegations that the Pennsylvania school failed to address antisemitism on campus” Read at Just the News ↗ Right · 2The expansion concerns a video showing people burning an Israeli soldier in effigy, which the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) account shared on social media near the third anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks. JNSR “which shared a video on social media of people burning an Israeli soldier in effigy” Read at JNS ↗ Just the NewsRC “posted online near the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks” Read at Just the News ↗ Right · 1Just the News, running Center Square copy, says a Philadelphia-based group first posted the video and the SJP account later reposted it. Just the NewsRC “A Philadelphia-based group posted the video, and an account, Students for Justice in Palestine, later reposted it.” Read at Just the News ↗
Right · 1According to the Education Department, as reported by JNS, the video also says "long live al-Aqsa flood", a reference to Hamas's term for the 7 October attacks, and urges viewers to attend "all out" rallies on Tuesday and Wednesday; the department said "all out" appears to be a "call to violence". JNSR “The video also states “long live al-Aqsa flood,” a reference to Hamas’s term for the Oct. 7 attacks”““All out” appears to be a “call to violence,” the U.S. agency said.” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 2Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary of education for civil rights, said the department will examine whether the school violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and that "it appears the college’s leaders have cravenly allowed this to happen". JNSR ““It appears the college’s leaders have cravenly allowed this to happen.” The department will investigate if the school violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act” Read at JNS ↗ Just the NewsRC “OCR would “thoroughly investigate Swarthmore College to determine whether the school violated Title VI.”” Read at Just the News ↗ Right · 2Richey also said that "if Swarthmore has in fact turned a blind eye to such provocation... someone is asleep at the wheel", and that the new allegations "underscore that radicalism and antisemitism are incompatible with safe learning environments". JNSR “someone is asleep at the wheel,” stated Kimberly Richey” Read at JNS ↗ Just the NewsRC “these new allegations underscore that radicalism and antisemitism are incompatible with safe learning environments,”” Read at Just the News ↗
Right · 1Swarthmore denies the allegations. Alisa Giardinelli, its assistant vice president for communications and special projects, said the college has no control over what is posted to @swarthmoresjp, that it is unclear whether those running the account are currently students, and that the account has shared "deeply offensive, if not reprehensible content" before. Just the NewsRC “Swarthmore College denies the allegations and told The Center Square that it has no control over content posted to the SJP account”““This is not the first time this account has shared deeply offensive, if not reprehensible content,”” Read at Just the News ↗ Right · 2The college also says it has consistently condemned antisemitism, Islamophobia and other discrimination and has strengthened its response to bias reports. It told JNS that the SJP chapter deleted its Monday repost and is not publicising events on campus. Just the NewsRC “We have not only consistently and publicly condemned antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of discrimination within our community” Read at Just the News ↗ JNSR “According to the college, the SJP chapter deleted its Monday repost of the video, and is not publicizing events on campus.” Read at JNS ↗ Right · 1In March 2025 the Education Department wrote to 60 schools under investigation over antisemitism, Swarthmore among them, warning that they could face enforcement action if they did not protect Jewish students as Title VI requires. JNSR “In March 2025, the Education Department wrote to 60 schools, including Swarthmore, that were being investigated about Jew-hatred” Read at JNS ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets lead with the Education Department's action and Richey's statements. JNS stresses the video's content and the department's strong language; Just the News (Center Square copy) gives more room to the college's denial.
- Emphasis
- JNS: the "long live al-Aqsa flood" slogan and the "call to violence" reading. Just the News: the college's response and the account's unclear links to students.
- Leaves out or plays down
- JNS gives little of the college's position beyond the deleted repost. Just the News leaves out the video's slogan and the March 2025 warning letters. Neither includes comment from SJP.
- Charged language
- “Jew-hatred”“cravenly allowed this to happen”“asleep at the wheel”“terrorist attacks”
- For example
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““It appears the college’s leaders have cravenly allowed this to happen.”” — JNS
“Swarthmore College denies the allegations and told The Center Square that it has no control over content posted to the SJP account” — Just the News
What every side reports
- The Education Department has expanded its Title VI investigation of Swarthmore College.
- The expansion concerns a video of an Israeli soldier burned in effigy that the SJP account shared around the third anniversary of 7 October 2023.
- Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights, announced the department's action.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the college is responsible for the SJP account's content
- Right
- The department says leaders appear to have "cravenly allowed this to happen" (JNS). The college says it has no control over @swarthmoresjp and that it is unclear whether its operators are students (Just the News).
Department of Education organisation
Says the video may be a "call to violence" and that Swarthmore may have ignored it. It will investigate a possible Title VI violation.
““All out” appears to be a “call to violence,” the U.S. agency said.” — JNS
“OCR would “thoroughly investigate Swarthmore College to determine whether the school violated Title VI.”” — Just the News
Swarthmore College organisation
Denies the allegations, says it cannot control the SJP account, and says it has publicly condemned antisemitism and strengthened its response to bias reports.
““But the college has no control over what is posted to @swarthmoresjp.”” — Just the News
“According to the college, the SJP chapter deleted its Monday repost of the video” — JNS
Israel1 outlet
JNS stresses the video's Hamas-linked slogan and the department's condemnation.
“a reference to Hamas’s term for the Oct. 7 attacks” — JNS
JNS
North America1 outlet
Just the News presents the probe and gives the college's denial prominent space.
“Swarthmore College denies the allegations” — Just the News
Just the News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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JNSR ·
Critical Reports the department's accusations at length, with strong quoted language, and gives the college's side only briefly.
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US Education Department investigates Pennsylvania college over antisemitism on campus
Neutral Straightforward Center Square report that pairs the department's statement with a detailed college rebuttal.
- 7 Oct 22:57 First JNSR Trump admin says it's expanding probe of alleged Jew-hatred at Swarthmore, now includes student group sharing video of burning Israeli in effigy
- 9 Oct 04:06 +29h 9m Just the NewsRC US Education Department investigates Pennsylvania college over antisemitism on campus
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.