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Jewish student at the University of Michigan attacked by group

A Jewish student at the University of Michigan (UoM) was attacked in an alleged anti-Semitic incident on Sunday, according to the UoM Hillel in a post on Facebook, the ADL and the university on Monday morning.

The student reported to Ann Arbor police that he was attacked by a group of people after telling them he was Jewish.

The 19-year-old student was allegedly thrown to the ground, kicked and spat on, according to a WhatsApp report from a local group.

The Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD) said in a statement that it is currently investigating a “bias-motivated attack that occurred on 9/15/24 at approximately 12:45 a.m. at Hill Street and South Forest.”

“The 19-year-old male victim stated that he was walking when a group of men behind him asked him if he was Jewish. When the victim answered in the affirmative, the group of men proceeded to attack him. The suspects fled on foot.”

Statement on the anti-Semitic incident at the University of Michigan by @A2Police (Source: SCREENSHOT/X)

The victim suffered minor injuries and did not need to be taken to the hospital, the statement continued. He reported the incident to the AAPD.

AAPD Police Chief Andre C. Anderson said he had spoken with UoM Police (UMPD) and there was “absolutely no place for hate or ethnic intimidation” in the city.

“Our department stands against anti-Semitism,” he explained.

Rabbi Davey Rosen, the director of UoM Hillel, said that in addition to AAPD and UMPD, “we are in regular contact with state and federal law enforcement through Hillel’s partnership with Jewish Community Security Inc.”

He added that Police Chief Anderson called him after the incident to assure him “that the AAPD is against anti-Semitism and an investigation is underway.”

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UoM President Santa Ono said the “safety of our campus community is our highest priority” and said the university “stands firmly against anti-Semitism and any prejudice-motivated behavior.”

Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a Twitter post that he was “horrified to learn of an alleged anti-Semitic attack on a Jewish @UMich student.”

“We are grateful that @A2Police is investigating this as a hate crime.”

Greenblatt added that the ADL will pay $5,000 to anyone who provides information that could lead to the arrest or conviction of the suspects.

“There is no place for anti-Semitism or bigotry on our streets and campuses,” he added.

Jewish students make up about 14 percent of the student body in Michigan, or about 6,500, including 5,000 bachelor's students and 1,500 master's students, according to the UoM Hillel website.

Previous incidents, investigations at the UoM

The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights had previously investigated the University of Michigan for violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and found that Michigan had violated Title VI in its handling of anti-Semitic incidents.

Of the 75 harassment complaints investigated by the OCR – many of which involved targeted attacks on Jewish students – only a few were addressed by the university.

The OCR found “no evidence” that the university had complied with Title VI requirements to investigate whether campus protests against the war between Israel and Hamas had created a “hostile atmosphere” for students, faculty and staff.

In one case, the university denied a Jewish student's request for conflict resolution after he said he was harassed by a faculty member on social media in October 2023. The university told the student that social media is “broadly protected as free speech,” the Office of Civil Rights report said.



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