Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Elise Stefanik joined Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) in reintroducing the University Accountability Act to impose penalties on education institutions who fail to protect the civil rights of their students after antisemitic incidents on college campuses increased following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7th, 2023.
“I will continue to lead efforts to rid our colleges and universities of antisemitism alongside President Trump who is delivering on his promise to hold these failed institutions accountable for their neglect and abandonment of our Jewish students. The University Accountability Act will impose penalties on universities who violate the civil rights of their own students and put their undeserved tax-exempt status on the chopping block,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
"Universities have a responsibility to protect their students from violence and discrimination but, instead, we're seeing a disturbing increase in antisemitic attacks and rhetoric on college campuses," said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. "Our legislation seeks to hold these institutions accountable and encourage them to investigate and crack down on instances of antisemitism to help foster a safer academic environment for all students, regardless of their gender, race or religion."
Under current federal law, a violation of Title VI, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, can result in the loss of federal funds, but oftentimes results in a mere corrective action that would bring the college or university back into compliance. The University Accountability Act would require colleges and universities that meet the penalty criteria to pay a fine of either five percent of the school's aggregate administrative compensation as reported on the school's Form 990, or $100,000, whichever is greater. After three civil rights violations, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would be required to review the college or university's tax-exempt status for possible revocation.
