President Donald Trump’s administration is investigating Ohio State University for alleged antisemitic harassment and discrimination on campus.
OSU is one of 60 universities to receive a letter from the Trump administration threatening law enforcement action if the school does not protect Jewish students following several reported incidents of antisemitism since the outset of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
An Ohio State spokesperson told NBC4 in Columbus that the school has not received its letter, which is a direct result of Trump’s Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism executive order, signed on Jan. 29.
“The Department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite U.S. campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a news release. “University leaders must do better. U.S. colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by U.S. taxpayers. That support is a privilege and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws.”
Ohio State is one of two Ohio institutions to receive a letter, along with the University of Cincinnati.
Other Big Ten schools who were cited include Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers and Wisconsin.
Last week, Ohio State students gathered on campus to protest the university’s elimination of its diversity, equity, and inclusion office and to speak out against Ohio Senate Bill 1, which aims to combat DEI efforts, a major point of emphasis of the Trump administration.
The demonstrations came in the wake of Trump calling for any school allowing “illegal protests” to lose federal support, while not explicitly stating what types of protests would be considered prohibited.
“All federal funding will stop for any college, school, or university that allows illegal protests,” Trump said on social media. “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested.”
Related: President Trump Threatens College Students Across The U.S.