University of Virginia suspends two students after Jewish student says he was held at gunpoint for his religion
Two University of Virginia students were suspended after being accused of threatening a Jewish housemate at gunpoint, allegedly over his religion.
The student reported the incident, citing concerns about anti-Semitic behavior and threats, prompting praise from Jewish campus groups and a response from UVA emphasizing its opposition to bigotry.
Two students at the University of Virginia (UVA) have been suspended following allegations from a Jewish housemate of theirs that they threatened him with violence.
The Jewish student alleged that he was threatened at gunpoint due to his being religiously Jewish. Firearms are not allowed on the property, according to The Daily Progress.
“I had requested that he stop posting anti-Semitic memes on text and in person,” the Jewish student, whose name has been redacted from official publications due to safety concerns, wrote in his initial complaint.
The Jewish student alleged that his housemate threatened him in a house group chat. “At approximately 12:30, I am going to free Palestine,” his housemate allegedly texted. “Anyone is welcome to join in the beating.”
“He also attempted to fight me — asking multiple times, ‘You wanna go?’ and ‘Let’s go right now, I’ll take my belt off right now,’” the Jewish student wrote in the complaint. “I called the police and UVa dean after discussing with my parents my concern.”
The Jewish student who reported the hate crime was immediately lauded by Jewish groups on UVA’s campus. “Using UVA and law enforcement reporting processes, he held the offending students accountable for their actions and made our Grounds safer for all of us,” wrote leaders of the Brody Jewish Center about the student.
“The University opposes antisemitism and all forms of bigotry and we take swift action to support students who experience threats or harassment and to hold offenders accountable,” UVA spokesperson Brian Coy told The Daily Progress.
This is not the first instance of anti-Semitism the school has seen this semester. Earlier this semester, the UVA administration dropped charges against anti-Israel students who were arrested during a demonstration during the spring semester. Specifically, the students had been charged related to the encampment they allegedly helped to erect at the school in May.
Previously, a vandal inscribed the phrase “Where is Palestine” on an Israeli flag at the school, which the UVA administration described as an “act of antisemitism.”
UVA is not the only school that has faced significant anti-Semitism following Hamas’ Oct 7 attack on Israel. A recent report found that anti-Semitism has significantly increased at American colleges.
The group StopAntisemitism released the report earlier this year, finding a “jaw-dropping 3,000% rise in antisemitic tips and submissions.”
“Antisemitism on college campuses has reached alarming levels, driven by universities’ failures to act,” StopAntisemitism Founder and Executive Director Liora Rez said in a statement about the report. “Without real consequences, this wave of hate will only intensify.’
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Virginia for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
