Department of Education opens investigation into UC Santa Barbara after Multicultural Center displays litany of deranged anti-Semitic posters
The Department of Education has opened an investigation into the University of California, Santa Barbara after blatantly anti-Semitic posters were put up in its MultiCultural Center (MCC).
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened the investigation on Tuesday.
The Department of Education has opened an investigation into the University of California, Santa Barbara after blatantly anti-Semitic posters were put up in its MultiCultural Center (MCC).
As reported by Campus Reform, an MCC Instagram caption from late February contained posters from the center’s entrance doors, which contained a sign reading “Zionists not welcome.”
“When people are occupied, Resistance is justified,” “Zionists get 0 bitches,” and “Zionists are not welcomed! Stay away from our kitchen too!” other posters read.
In some of the posts, University of California, Santa Barbara Associated Students President Tessa Veksler, who says she’s “unapologetically Jewish,” was targeted in the signs that were posted.
According to the Times of Israel, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened the Title VI “shared ancestry” investigation on Tuesday into the University of California, Santa Barbara.
It’s unclear why the investigation was opened.
One sign at the MCC painted Veksler as a “racist Zionist,” with another warning that “you can run but you can’t hide Tessa Veksler.” At least two other posters accused Veksler of “support[ing] genocide.”
”Zionists are not welcome,” another sign at the MCC read.
[RELATED: ’Friends’ actor David Schwimmer sounds alarm on anti-Semitic posters at UC Santa Barbara: ‘ Happening on campuses all across the country’]
The University of California, Santa Barbara previously condemned the posters, stating they are “a violation of our principles of community and inclusion.”
”Campus offices are reviewing these unauthorized and unofficial messages. The signage has been removed and campus is conducting a bias incident review based on potential discrimination related to protected categories that include religion, citizenship, and national or ethnic origin,” university officials wrote.
The MCC has since deleted its social media accounts. A March 20 statement on its website states its preparing to resume operations.
”We, the career staff of the MultiCultural Center, write to you in the spirit of accountability and growth. We have temporarily shifted our focus to introspection, rebuilding relationships with constituents (including student staff and interns), and actionable steps to resume the full operations of the MCC for the spring quarter. While challenges undoubtedly lie ahead, we are committed to fostering open dialogue about how the MCC can uphold its mission, values, policies, and procedures within the larger institution while also serving as a critical site of resistance, which the MCC has done since its inception,” the statement reads.
