New Bills in New York Aim to Crack Down on Antisemitism on College Campuses
“This legislation is about strengthening protections, ensuring accountability, and fostering a safer, more inclusive learning environment for all students”
It’s about time. This has been overdue in New York for months now.
The New York Post reports:
The PSC also condemned Israel’s campaign against the terrorist group, Hamas.
A package of new bills announced Monday targeting antisemitism on college campuses will make it easier for the state to sue schools that don’t do enough to stomp out hate.
Democratic politicians are looking to adjust the legal standard to make it easier to sue colleges and universities that allow discriminatory harassment to go unchecked — and ensure the schools are complying with civil rights laws.
The first bill, dubbed the ACCESS Act, would bring the legal standard in line with the 2019 rules that allow employees to sue their employer for allowing discriminatory harassment in the workplace.
“The ACCESS Act is intended to push colleges and universities to be more proactive in preventing and responding to incidents of harassment and discrimination — not just antisemitism, which we have seen more and more since the horrific attacks of Oct. 7, but hate and bias of all kinds,” the bill’s Assembly sponsor, Micah Lasher (D-Manhattan), told The Post.
“The state of New York must use every tool at its disposal to protect our kids, and that’s what we are doing with this legislation,” Lasher continued.
The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-Queens) in the upper chamber.
Another bill, carried by Assembly member Nily Rozic (D-Queens) and state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Queens), would require every campus to have a dedicated coordinator to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“By ensuring every New York college and university has a dedicated Title VI coordinator, we are reinforcing the fundamental right to an education free from bias and intimidation and that allows students to be students,” Rozic said.
“This legislation is about strengthening protections, ensuring accountability, and fostering a safer, more inclusive learning environment for all students,” she continued.
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