We are writing this letter because today marks five days since the newest antisemitic encampment was established on Stanford’s campus. This comes after the administration issued numerous warnings and threats to the student body that such acts would not be permitted, and that students infringing upon clearly stated policies dating back to February would be brought up on Office of Community Standards charges, suspended, or arrested.

To the best of our knowledge, no disciplinary action has been taken against members of the encampment for their numerous violations of campus policy, including but not limited to: overnight displays, overnight camping, unregistered events, non-permitted use of amplified sound, non-permitted use of electricity, fire-safety violations, blocking access to public property, time place and manner restrictions on protests, disruptions of classes and campus events, restrictions on banners and chalking, calling for genocide against Jews, intimidation and harassment of Jews. The presence of the encampment makes Jews feel unsafe and unwelcome on Stanford’s campus and is creating disturbances that interfere with the education of all Stanford students. This is unacceptable and the encampment organizers and participants must be held accountable.

We are particularly upset because this is not the first such case of severe threat to the Jewish community. Stanford University has been plagued by extreme cases of antisemitism and unrest for seven months. The administration has given students and parents assurances that they acknowledge the problem and that these issues would be promptly dealt with going forward. Specifically, on February 23. 2024, 18 students were arrested for interrupting a Family Weekend event featuring the President and Provost. On March 15, 2024, in a private meeting with Jewish students, President Saller gave assurances that this would be the new protocol for handling interruptions of campus events which violate time, place, and manner restrictions. Yet, when a rally occured during Admit Weekend right outside of the Dean’s Welcome Ceremony in Frost Ampitheatre, no student protestors were arrested or faced disciplinary consequences.

It is crucial to note that this is not the first time that Stanford has failed to follow-through on important promises to the Jewish community. Following the 2022 investigation that uncovered evidence of antisemitic quotas against admitting Jewish students, Stanford promised a comprehensive reform of policies to improve Jewish life at the University. However, in the same private meeting referenced above, President Saller admitted that implementation of these reforms have still not begun due to a lack of a “satisfactory committee” being organized to oversee the reforms. Note that there is a two year gap between the announcement of these promises and the present day. This lack of follow-through on promises in these difficult times makes us feel marginalized, ignored, and discriminated against.

At present, the Stanford encampment prominently displays a large banner stating, “From San Jose [to] Palestine Death [to] Settler Colonial Projects.” The Jewish community sees this as an open and unambiguous call to violence against us, our institutions, and our places of worship right here at home. In a tweet from December 7, 2023, Stanford University clearly stated that such calls for genocide against Jews would be a clear violation of Stanford’s Code of Conduct. Yet, as we have seen, the University has taken no measures to discipline the students responsible and follow through on its word.

This comes on the back of alarming revelations that the encampment is now harboring individuals who are uniformed as Hamas combatants. Hamas is a US-designated terrorist organization and the official charter of Hamas calls for the worldwide eradication of Jews and the overthrow of America, we see this as a severe and open threat to our existence and our safety. Individuals dressed openly as members of a terrorist organization is unacceptable and must be dealt with swiftly and harshly. Not doing so sets a dangerous standard, as no citizen should have to worry about distinguishing between individuals merely dressed as terrorists and true terrorists who seek to deal us serious bodily harm — similar to how Stanford would not tolerate a profusion of individuals outfitted with fake suicide bomb jackets or realistic toy guns, for fear of not being able to then recognize a true security threat or malicious actors when they are present.

The severity and capacity for danger is so extreme that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have been notified about these individuals.

Jewish and non-Jewish students reserve the right to a safe learning environment in which they can focus on their studies. Numerous members of the Jewish student body have had their grades, livelihood, and wellbeing suffer because of severe emotional unrest. Many have had to move to safe-houses to avoid threat or physical harm. They have been denied the education that they have paid tuition for. Stanford is in clear breach of Title VI obligations.

Antisemitic agitators, by contrast, have been emboldened by the lack of strong University response. Their professors and TAs have encouraged their aggression, going so far as to recently cancel class to allow students to participate in protests. So confident are they that neither their grades nor their academic or disciplinary standing will suffer as a result of their behavior, that these protestors have begun referring to the encampment as the “People’s University for Palestine.” If these individuals wish to dissociate themselves from Stanford to the extent that they (i) call for the overthrow of Stanford, (ii) resent that their tuition is going to fund Stanford’s investments, (iii) refuse to attend classes in favor of spending their time attacking fellow students, (iv) are unconcerned about their GPA because of lax policies, and (v) are now claiming to attend a separate University; why then should they be awarded a degree from Stanford?

Other colleges across the country have begun arresting and disciplining malicious student and non-student agitators, setting an important precedent. We, Jews and non-Jews alike, call on Stanford to follow suit. Due to slack enforcement of policies, Jewish students have been denied the expected quality of education for an entire school year, an education they are paying tuition for. Stanford is in clear breach of contract and this must end.