Denver’s Auraria Campus faces bogus antisemitism investigation
Denver, CO – On May 8, the Colorado Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights opened an investigation into whether antisemitism is present on the Auraria Campus. This is part of a larger campaign under the Trump administration. It is in response to pro-Palestinian protests at universities across the country.
These investigations are meant to scare student activists. They also aim to stop people from speaking out against what Israel and the U.S. are doing in Palestine. The government is threatening to cut funding to schools found “guilty.” But even more serious are the threats to free speech, academic freedom and civil rights on campus. The Auraria Campus in Denver is one of many universities being targeted by this investigation, due to the Auraria student encampment for Palestine last spring.
The first meeting showed that the investigation was based on false claims and bad faith from the start. It focused on choosing the final language in the investigation proposal. Several parts were removed as they were found to be too extreme, describing the Auraria encampment slogans as murderous. In addition, false claims such as, “participants chanted slogans calling for terrorist attacks on Jews globally,” remained in the proposal.
At the end of the meeting, students and organizers involved in the Auraria encampment gave public comment. They talked about the inclusive community environment at the encampment and the threat to academic freedom and basic rights that this investigation poses. Several Jewish students gave comments firmly saying that the encampment was a place where Judaism was respected, honored and celebrated, and that community space was given for ritual and education.
Students also raised that the investigation is a distraction from the ongoing genocide, having nothing to do with antisemitism, and everything to do with destroying higher education.
“What's happening is clearly a violation of First Amendment rights, student rights, and is perpetuating dominant narratives being swept under the rug and weaponizing the term antisemitism to repress what students at the encampment were truly protesting,” said Daranee Teng, a PhD student. Teng attends CU Denver to study censorship and repression.
Despite the student comments, the members of the vommittee voted unanimously to continue with the investigation.
When looking more closely at the individuals on the committee, the ill intention behind the investigation becomes clear. While the chair is an attorney who specializes in indigenous rights and has experience working on real civil rights issues, the majority of the committee members have close ties to right-wing politics, including the vice chair, who was Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office for Civil Rights during the first Trump administration.
Other members of the committee have histories of islamophobia, supporting efforts against DEI, and working to privatize education. Pamela Benigno has spent her career privatizing education and fighting to remove standards that educate students on LGBTQ history and identities.
The vice chair, William E. Trachman, argues that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are a form of racism and infringe on free speech.
David Kopel, who recommended the launch of this investigation, has a long track record of islamophobia. He published articles and blogs filled with inaccurate and bigoted stereotypes against Muslims, including frequent use of the terms “Islamonazi terror,” “Islamofascists” and “Islamo-nazism.” Kopel has also written articles filled with factual errors and conspiracy theories, extending this bigotry to Palestinians and justifying discrimination against them.
This isn't the first time the commission has been used to push conservative political agendas. In 2006, during the Bush administration, the commission used a similar investigation to establish standard pro-Israel talking points still widely used today.
All of this together makes it undeniably clear that while the genocide in Palestine continues, the U.S. government will continue to do whatever it can to silence dissent. In the case of this investigation, it includes destroying academic freedom and trampling on students’ civil rights. Regardless, students will continue to speak out and organize on their campuses and communities until Palestine is liberated.