DEI official at University Michigan fired after being accused of making antisemitic remarks: report
The University of Michigan fired a DEI official after she was accused of making antisemitic statements earlier this year, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
Rachel Dawson, the director of the university’s Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI), was accused of stating that her school was “controlled by wealthy Jews” and that Jewish students are “wealthy and privileged,” according to a complaint from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Michigan obtained by The Times through a FOIA request.
Additionally, Dawson allegedly stated that “Jewish people have no genetic DNA that would connect them to the land of Israel.”
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An official was reportedly fired by The University Of Michigan after being accused of making antisemitic remarks earlier this year. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
University of Michigan spokesperson Colleen Mastonry declined to confirm or deny Dawson’s termination from the school, saying that the school “would not comment on personnel matters,” the Times stated.
However, the administrator’s lawyer, Amanda Ghannam, declared that the school fired Dawson this week.
According to the lawyer, the official was initially instructed to undergo training in response to her words, though Ghannam denied that Dawson said anything antisemitic, and said her client’s rights have been violated by the school’s disciplinary actions.
“The university has clearly, blatantly violated Ms. Dawson’s First Amendment rights, and we will take appropriate legal action,” Ghannam stated on Thursday.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ghannam’s office for comment.
The outlet also noted that emails it obtained revealed that “university leaders had planned on a lesser punishment for Ms. Dawson, but a regent argued that she should be fired.”
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The Times obtained a memo from the school’s legal representation replying to the ADL’s complaint. It stated that it was “not possible to determine with certainty whether Ms. Dawson made the exact remarks” as “there is no recording of the conversation and no witness other than the reporting parties and the subject of the investigation.”
However, the memo did go on to admit that the “weight of the available evidence supports A.D.L. Michigan’s report.”
Dawson’s reported firing comes amid concerns of wider antisemitism on the school’s campus that spiked due to pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting Israel’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre.
In the wake of the raucous demonstrations that roiled many elite universities nationwide, University of Michigan President Dr. Santa J. Ono appeared before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in May to testify on the problem.
At the time, Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital, “The Committee has identified patterns of antisemitism on Yale’s and Michigan’s campuses and a general failure by these universities to protect Jewish students that must be addressed.”
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – MAY 4: Joseph Fisher chants during a Pro-Palestinian protest during the University of Michigan’s spring commencement ceremony on May 4, 2024 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) (Getty)
The University of Michigan’s OAMI office oversees providing resources for diverse and “underrepresented students” to be able to attend the school.
Its site states, “By partnering with community colleges throughout Michigan, we assist transfer students as they prepare for their successful transition to U-M. Once here, the office is an inclusive community and hub of resources helping students thrive.”
Reports of the DEI official’s firing also come just a week after news broke that the university ended its requirement for diversity statements for faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure.
The university said that diversity statements “have been criticized for their potential to limit freedom of expression and diversity of thought on campus.”
The University of Michigan did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report.
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