Full Breakdown
Faculty-Driven Antisemitism in U.S. University Classrooms: Findings of New ADL Reports
8/13/2026, 10:52:38 AM
Core Findings
The Anti-Defamation League released two linked reports—*Antisemitism Among Faculty and in the Classroom: Trends, Patterns and Institutional Dynamics* and *The Faculty Factor: Inside the Networks Driving Anti-Israel and Anti-Zionist Activism on Campus*—that document a shift of antisemitic activity from public protests to classroom instruction, curricula, and faculty governance. The reports cite recurring patterns such as the inclusion of pro-terrorism readings, extra-credit incentives for attending anti-Israel events, and the singling out of Jewish or Israeli students as representatives of the Israeli state.
Background & Context
Student-led protests erupted across U.S. campuses after the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, culminating in a wave of tent encampments in spring 2024. A pro-Palestinian encampment was erected at Columbia University on April 24 2024.
Data & Statistics
- The ADL tracked 1,694 antisemitic incidents on U.S. campuses in 2024 and 583 in 2025.
- A January 2025 ADL survey found 27.3 % of Jewish students reported observing antisemitic behavior by faculty.
- An ADL-Academic Engagement Network survey of 209 Jewish-identifying faculty reported that 73 % observed antisemitic activity from colleagues, administrators, or staff.
- 44 % of surveyed faculty were aware of a Faculty & Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) chapter on their campus; among those, 79.4 % said the chapters organized protests, 77.2 % hosted anti-Israel programming, and 84.8 % endorsed divestment campaigns.
- The reports cite specific course examples: a Princeton “Gender, Reproduction and Genocide” class framing Israel’s actions as “genocide,” and a Stanford “Palestine Across Disciplines” description asking how to discuss “devastation and genocide.”
Timeline
- April 24 2024 – Pro-Palestinian students establish a tent encampment at Columbia University.
- Spring 2024 – Faculty at New York University and Columbia University form physical barriers around encampments; Northwestern University professors lock arms to block university police.
- January 2025 – ADL releases the two reports and announces a Campus Classroom Reporting mechanism.
Official Statements & Responses
- ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt warned that “universities cannot claim to be addressing antisemitism seriously if they ignore what happens behind the classroom door and inside faculty governance.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “Universities cannot claim to be addressing antisemitism seriously if they ignore what happens behind the classroom door and inside faculty governance.” — ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt
Criticism & Opposition
The reports note that some faculty unions and professional bodies have opposed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, arguing it conflates anti-Zionism with hate speech.
What’s Next
The ADL will operate the newly launched Campus Classroom Reporting tool, a confidential channel for students, staff, and faculty to report classroom-based bias. The organization also released best-practice guides and model policies intended to help institutions address discrimination while preserving academic freedom.
These findings underscore a growing concern that faculty-led advocacy, networked through organizations such as FSJP, the California Faculty Association, and the Sanctuary Campus Network, is reshaping university environments in ways that the ADL argues marginalize Jewish and Israeli students.
