Voluntary resolution agreement in Title VI investigation

To the Temple University community,

As was reported earlier this year, the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education (OCR) opened an investigation into Temple University for its handling of reported incidents of harassment based on national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. More than 100 colleges and universities have undergone or are currently undergoing such a review.

Today, I am pleased to share that Temple has resolved the investigation through a voluntary resolution agreement with OCR. Importantly, this agreement includes no findings of noncompliance or wrongdoing by the university. This resolution allows us to focus on our essential work in addressing all complaints of discrimination and harassment, including antisemitic, anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, anti-Muslim and all unlawful discriminatory incidents that create a hostile environment for members of our community.

From the outset of the investigation, Temple cooperated with OCR and provided full transparency about the university's support for its community through these challenging times. In accordance with the resolution, we will intensify our efforts by focusing on additional training, enhancing our record-keeping processes and conducting a comprehensive climate survey.

OCR's announcement details several incidents that took place on campus and gave rise to the original investigation, as well as incidents that occurred later. Temple took each of those reports seriously and responded accordingly. While OCR has raised concerns about some of these incidents, and while those concerns do not rise to the level of findings, Temple is committed to reviewing and addressing those incidents thoroughly.

As part of the agreement, Temple has reiterated its commitment to combating discrimination and harassment. To that end, the university has already taken steps to clarify and widely publish guidance for demonstrations, host a teach-in on antisemitism, and continue to draw guidance from its Blue Ribbon Commission on Antisemitism and University Responses. The recommendations of the commission ultimately led to the creation of the Interfaith Inclusion Center, the appointment of a special advisor on antisemitism (Ariella Werden-Greenfield), the expansion of our universitywide DEI collaborative and strong partnerships with Jewish community leaders throughout Philadelphia.

We have also been actively collaborating with the American Jewish Committee. At a news conference this fall, the committee specifically applauded Temple's response to a recent demonstration. We look forward to continuing to work with the committee to ensure that all members of our Jewish community feel both supported and safe as we navigate through these uncertain times.

Through the agreement, the university has also agreed to undertake specific actions, including additional training for our investigators and students, faculty and staff; a climate survey; and continued internal review of incident responses and an annual report to OCR for the next two academic years.

Let me be clear: Acts of hatred and discrimination against any person will not be tolerated, and those who are determined to have engaged in unlawful discrimination or harassment will be subject to discipline under applicable policies.

I encourage any member of the Temple community who has experienced discrimination or harassment to submit a report through the Department of Public Safety, the Equal Opportunity Compliance Office, and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

In these unprecedented times, the Temple community is grappling with diverse perspectives and challenging questions. Temple's Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership (IDEAL) has identified these resources, and I strongly encourage all members in need of support to utilize them.

The Temple community stands for inclusivity, not division. We stand for diversity and dialogue.

As we move forward, we remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering an inclusive community. This resolution provides a framework for strengthening our systems and processes to support our students and community and to address and drive out hate. It is my promise that we will never waver from our goal of providing a safe and welcoming environment for all Temple students, faculty and staff to live, learn and work.

Sincerely,

John Fry
President

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