University of Michigan DEI official terminated for allegedly saying school is ‘controlled by wealthy Jews,’ other anti-Semitic comments
The DEI official allegedly said that the school is ‘controlled by wealthy Jews.’
She also supposedly called Jewish students ‘wealthy and privileged’ and alleged that ‘Jewish people have no genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel.’
A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) official at the University of Michigan was recently fired by the school after she allegedly said several anti-Semitic remarks.
Rachel Dawson previously led the university’s Office for Academic Multicultural Initiatives, but was fired after it was discovered that she allegedly made numerous anti-Semitic comments, as The New York Times revealed after it acquired the information through a freedom of information request.
Dawson reportedly said several controversial comments during a March conference, stating that the University of Michigan is “controlled by wealthy Jews,” and calling Jewish students “wealthy and privileged,” which, according to her, meant they do not require assistance from her DEI office, the Times wrote.
[RELATED: Michigan State issues institutional neutrality, ‘thoughtful restraint’ guidelines]
She also allegedly claimed that “Jewish people have no genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel,” according to the Times.
Dawson’s lawyer, who is set to sue the university, denied the claims that she made anti-Semitic remarks, alleging that “[t]he university has clearly, blatantly violated Ms. Dawson’s First Amendment rights, and we will take appropriate legal action,” the Times wrote.
The University of Michigan has repeatedly been mired in anti-Semitism controversies in recent months.
A university regent, Jordan Acker, was repeatedly targeted by anti-Semitic activists, most recently when anti-Israel protesters vandalized his house and scribbled pro-Palestinian messages and a terrorist symbol on his wife’s car.
Anti-Israel activists at the school also yelled profanities and racist comments and spat upon members of the student government who defied repeated obstruction by pro-Palestinian radicals in October.
The University of Michigan also triggered widespread controversy when the Times reported that it had poured hundreds of millions of dollars into a DEI program that proved divisive and counterproductive.
Campus Reform has reached out to Rachel Dawson’s lawyer and to the University of Michigan for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
