Worst 5 anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses in 2025
After being allowed to grow virtually unchecked for years, anti-Semitism became a pressing issue in 2025 and a major focus of Campus Reform coverage.
Although 2025 saw increased oversight of anti-Semitism on campuses across the United States, the fact that many institutions lacked competent reporting and investigation systems allowed for many instances of hate to take place.
Out of Campus Reform’s coverage of the anti-Semitic hate on and around campus in 2025, these were some of the worst incidents.
5. Princeton refuses to punish masked students who hurled slurs at Jews
Princeton University took no action against masked protesters who disrupted an April 7 event with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, shouting anti-Semitic slurs and displaying Hamas-linked symbols. Organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, the protest included calling Jewish students “inbred.” Despite public concern and a civil rights complaint that led to a $210 million federal funding freeze, the university had not released findings from its investigation or restricted face coverings.
4. Suspect charged over anti-Semitic incident against Dave Portnoy is no longer a student at MSU
A Mississippi State student who hurled an anti-Semitic slur and coins at Barstool’s Dave Portnoy during a filmed pizza review has been charged with disturbing the peace and is no longer enrolled. Police arrested 20-year-old Patrick McClintock after video of the Starkville incident went viral; he was released on $2,500 bond. McClintock withdrew from MSU as the case drew national attention, and Portnoy addressed the rise in anti-Semitism in a CBS interview.
An earlier incident involving Dave Portnoy saw two Temple University students suspended.
3. University of Maryland SGA passes anti-Israel resolution in vote scheduled for Jewish holy day
The University of Maryland’s student government passed a BDS resolution 29–0 on Yom Kippur, sparking backlash from Jewish students who said the timing excluded their participation. Backed by Students for Justice in Palestine, the measure called for divestment from companies tied to Israel’s defense and a student committee to oversee future partnerships. Despite proxy voting options, critics, including a DOJ anti-Semitism task force chair, condemned the vote’s timing, especially after an earlier plan to introduce it on Rosh Hashanah. It’s the first BDS resolution to pass at Maryland amid a surge in campus anti-Semitism.
2. Cornell students receive anti-Semitic threats in spoofed emails posing as university president
Cornell University investigated a spoofed email account that impersonated its president and sent violent anti-Semitic and anti-LGBT threats to students and staff beginning Sept. 4. The messages, traced to an overseas source, prompted a joint probe by campus security, IT officials, and the FBI. Jewish groups, including Cornell Hillel and the ADL, condemned the messages and praised the university’s swift response. Administrators confirmed additional threatening emails have since targeted both Cornell affiliates and local community members.
1. Harvard found in ‘violent violation’ of Title VI over anti-Semitism
A federal task force under the Trump administration found Harvard in “violent violation” of Title VI for failing to stop anti-Semitic harassment, then warning the school could lose all federal funding. The investigation cited assaults, threats, and widespread fear among Jewish students, accusing administrators of indifference or complicity. Officials highlighted pro-Palestinian protests that blocked access to campus spaces and noted use of anti-Semitic imagery, including swastikas and dollar signs inside Stars of David. The finding followed calls to revoke Harvard’s federal grants and the resignation of a Kennedy School donor accused of ties to Hamas.
