Pomona College will hire a civil rights coordinator, update its policies regarding student protests and other conduct rules, among other actions, to settle an antisemitism complaint stemming from pro-Palestinian protests that roiled the campus following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.
The reforms are part of the settlement to a Title VI Civil Rights Act complaint that had been filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, according to the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, which brought the suit along with Hillel International and the Anti-Defamation League.
“After October 7, (2023), Jewish and Israeli students and teachers across the country were forced to live in fear on their own campuses. But there were many, including those at Pomona, who exemplified strength and stood up to the bigotry and hatred that threatened them,” Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center, said in a statement.
Pro-Palestinian protesters staged rallies and actions on the Pomona College campus on multiple occasions last year, at one point occupying an administration building then setting up an encampment on the commencement stage, forcing the relocation of graduation ceremonies off campus.
Under the terms of the settlement, Pomona College’s nondiscrimination policy and related training will be guided by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, according to Brandeis and ADL. The college also agreed to appoint a Title VI Coordinator responsible for overseeing its compliance with the law, and to implement meaningful policy updates governing student conduct, including rules for demonstrations.
“The action steps outlined in this settlement will address the blatant and egregious antisemitism faced by Pomona’s students, therefore protecting students from facing similar treatment in the future, and we hope it encourages others to take legal action against those who violate our constitutional rights,” Marcus said.
The settlement, which was negotiated with the support of an Office for Civil Rights mediator, also requires the college to “re-engage as a full participant in Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative,” according to the Brandeis Center, and to establish an Advisory Council on Jewish Life and Antisemitism, which will include representation from the executive director of Claremont Hillel and Claremont Chabad.
In a statement posted online, Pomona College officials said the settlement fulfills two “core requirements.”
“First, it specifically addresses the most prevalent and growing forms of antisemitism, while also offering a framework that can help the college respond to other types of shared-ancestry discrimination, such as anti-Palestinian racism,” according to the college. “Second, it reaffirms our shared commitment to free speech and open inquiry — values that are foundational to the college’s mission.”
In a letter to the campus community, Pomona College President G. Gabrelle Starr wrote that the settlement “acts on our longstanding goal of ensuring every individual at Pomona feels they have full and equal access to collaborate, study, teach and create within our vibrant and diverse academic community, while also reaffirming our deeply held values of free speech (including the right to peaceful protest), academic freedom and open inquiry.”
“… Antisemitism has persisted for thousands of years, and this settlement is not a one-size-fits-all toolkit,” Starr wrote. “It’ll be up to our community to put it in place — and to live it. We will work with the Executive Committee of the Faculty, Staff Council and ASPC to navigate the complexities and challenges together. I am grateful to their leadership in these times.
“As an institution of higher education, we respect disagreement and promote conversation, especially when it’s difficult. Our community is at its strongest when the multitude of perspectives, backgrounds and personalities we comprise can face polarizing issues with constructive dialogue. Every one of us plays an important role in making that happen.”
The college established a website at www.pomona.edu/resolution-agreement to provide details of the resolution.
Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International, said in a statement, “Jewish students at Pomona deserve to feel secure and welcome on their campus, just like every other student.”
“This settlement shows what’s possible when institutions take responsibility and commit to meaningful reforms designed to ensure Jewish students can learn and thrive,” Lehman said.