The U.S. Department of Education is currently investigating the University of Tampa, making it the seventh higher education institution to undergo scrutiny for alleged incidents of discrimination against Jewish and Muslim students.
The department announced the news on Tuesday and added the school to its online list of ongoing investigations that continue to grow in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Last week, the department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) initiated probes into reports of Islamophobia and antisemitism at six colleges, including Columbia University, The Cooper Union, Cornell University, Lafayette College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Wellesley College.
The University of Tampa stated that the investigation relates to an incident in September, predating the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.
“The university is fully cooperating with the request for information, but cannot comment further due to student privacy laws,” reads a statement from the school.
In addition to the University of Tampa, the department is also looking into alleged discrimination at a school district, Hillsborough County Public Schools, and has launched a second investigation into Columbia University.
The OCR aims to resolve the investigations within six months. Non-compliance may result in schools losing federal funding, although Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has stated that the department intends to work with schools to avoid funding cuts.
