March 1, 2016

Chancellor James B. Milliken

Office of the Chancellor
205 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
Dear Chancellor Milliken,
We, the members of the New York City Councils Jewish Caucus, write to express our grave
concern over recent reports of anti-Semitic incidents at CUNY schools, which have created
campus environments where Jewish students feel threatened, unwelcome, and afraid to display
their identity or beliefs. This is absolutely unacceptable, particularly given CUNYs history as a
haven for Jewish academics barred from private institutions by anti-Semitism. It is imperative
that you develop a comprehensive plan to ensure that Jewish CUNY students can learn in an
environment free from fear, and that you implement system-wide policies to swiftly and openly
address anti-Semitic incidents.
The proliferation of anti-Semitic graffiti, including swastikas, on many campuses speaks to
latent hostility. Rather than decrying the creep of hate onto their campuses, availing themselves
of an opportunity to educate students about anti-Semitism, or reaffirming inclusive academic
values, administrators at some colleges have remained silent about the graffitis anti-Semitic
nature, or, worse yet, ignored it entirely. When anti-Semitism rears its ugly head, it must be
named and condemned as must all bigotry. We are troubled by the inconsistent response of
individual school administrations to anti-Semitism on their campuses.
In the wake of a vitriolic anti-Israel protest, the President of Hunter College laudably
condemned anti-Semitic hate speech, bigotry, harassment, intimidation, exclusion and
intolerance, saying such behavior is unacceptable on our campus. However, across town at
John Jay College, an administrator reportedly dismissed the concerns of Jewish students,
dismissing their complaints of anti-Semitism as entitlement. No CUNY student should fear
expressing his or her religious identity, or political beliefs, let alone feel anxious about coming to
class or participating fully in campus life. And yet, across multiple CUNY schools, Jewish
students have reported feeling that the campus environment was so hostile that they could not
wear Stars of David or kippahs, openly identifying as Jewish, or espouse pro-Israel beliefs

without fearing for their safety. On a college campus, the chilling effect of bigotry, including
anti-Semitism, is devastating; it interferes with impacted students ability to learn, and it
diminishes the quality of education for all students. It cannot be tolerated in the CUNY system.
All CUNY students deserve an inclusive, welcoming campus community that fosters
respectful and rigorous academic expression. Bigotry of any kind has no place on a college
campus; it silences intellectual dialogue, stifles free academic exchange, and impedes the
learning process. We demand to know what comprehensive actions you are taking to address
anti-Semitism across the entire CUNY system, and to ensure that all administrators respond to
reports of anti-Semitism on their campuses with seriousness and sensitivity.
Furthermore, given that hate speech, particularly in charged atmospheres, is often a precursor
to violence, we insist that you inform us of your system-wide policies on reporting hate-based
harassment or violence to the New York Police Department, and of any hate-based incidents that
have been relayed to law enforcement in the past. If no system-wide reporting protocols are in
place, you must develop and promulgate guidelines that apply at all CUNY schools. Bigotry,
including anti-Semitism, is far too serious a problem to be dealt with in an ad hoc manner, left to
the discretion of individual administrators. We call on you to implement proactive, system-wide
policies that will cultivate a civil academic environment, where students flourish and learning
thrives, and to hold your administrators accountable for carrying out those policies.

Sincerely,

Mark Levine
Jewish Caucus Chair
Council Member, 7th District

Barry Grodenchik
Council Member, 23rd
District

Rory Lancman
Council Member, 24th
District

Mark Treygar
Council Member, 47th
District

Helen Rosenthal
Council Member, 6th District

Karen Koslowitz
Council Member, 29th
District

Andrew Cohen
Council Member, 11th District

Dan Garodnick
Council Member, 4th District

Ben Kallos
Council Member, 5th District

David Greenfield
Council Member, 44th
District

Brad Lander
Council Member, 39th
District

Chaim Deutsch
Council Member, 48th
District

Alan Maisel
Council Member, 46th District