The U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce says Bowdoin College leaders have failed to adequately respond to campus antisemitism since the Hamas attack on Israel two years ago.
Republican Committee Chair Tim Walberg wants answers about the February 2025 encampment by Students for Justice in Palestine in Smith Union.
In a March 27 letter to Bowdoin College President Dr. Safa Zaki and Board of Trustees Chair Scott Perper, Walberg wrote that student protestors illegally staged an encampment last winter and encouraged other students to join them.
The Committee said it wants answers from Bowdoin on what meaningful discipline has resulted from the encampment by April 10, citing Civil Rights Act requirements for schools that receive federal support to maintain a safe learning environment and address discrimination.
Bowdoin was one of dozens of schools identified by the Committee as allowing antisemitism to “flourish” on their campuses.
Bowdoin officials have declined to discuss details of disciplinary actions taken against students, citing privacy protections. But Students for Justice in Palestine has said eight students were temporarily suspended in social media posts.
A Bowdoin spokesperson said the college has received the letter and is in the process of reviewing it.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
