New York Gov. Kathy Hochul threatens legal action against universities that fail to combat antisemitism

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Stefanik blasts Harvard for keeping 'plagiarist' Claudine Gay as president after antisemitism hearing

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., condemned the "moral failure of Harvard's leadership" for supporting President Claudine Gay despite her testifying before Congress that calls for the genocide of Jews on campus needed "context."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned all state colleges and universities that failing to crack down on antisemitism on their campus is a violation of the state’s Human Rights Law and will result in "aggressive enforcement action."

Hochul wrote a letter to the presidents of colleges and universities across the state, with a message that calls for genocide made on campuses violate the New York State Human Rights Law and Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The letter came as Hochul, like many Americans, saw presidents of several universities fail to denounce antisemitism and calls for genocide of Jewish people on their college campuses.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (AP Photo/Hans Pennink/File)

Hochul said she contacted State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor John King to make sure that calling for the genocide of any group of people on any of its 62 campuses is a violation of the code of conduct, which it is.

Hochul said King affirmed that SUNY does not tolerate antisemitism or hatred of any kind and learned from City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez the same is true for CUNY schools.

Hochul told the university presidents that by not addressing antisemitic activity on campuses, the schools are in violation of the State Human Rights Law and Civil Rights Act of 1964. She also said schools that receive federal funds are responsible for keeping students free from a hostile environment based on their ethnicity or national origin.

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Pro-Palestinian students participate in a protest for free speech outside Columbia University, Nov. 15. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images/File)

She then said if schools do not comply with the laws, they can become ineligible to receive state and federal funds.

"I assure you that if any school in New York State is found to be in violation, I will activate the State’s Division of Human Rights to take aggressive enforcement action and will refer possible Title Vi violations to the federal government," Hochul wrote. "The moral lapses that were evidenced by the disgraceful answers to questions posed during this week’s congressional hearing cannot and will not be tolerated here in the state of New York."

College presidents from Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania were pressed on Capitol Hill last week during an education hearing about the massive protests on campus where chants calling for the genocide of Jews, "intifada," and "from the river to the sea" were heard.

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Harvard President Claudine Gay, left, MIT President Sally Kornbluth, and former University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

All three dodged, did not directly answer the question or claimed it did not violate their policies per se, and it depended on context.

UPenn President Liz Magill’s comments sparked fierce backlash after she gave a non-answer to New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s question asking if calling for the genocide of Jews violates Penn’s rules or code of conduct.

"If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes," Magill responded, later adding, "It is a context-dependent decision."

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Stefanik asked her if calling for the genocide of Jews violated the schools code of conduct in terms of bullying and harassment, and Magill’s answer was, "It can be harassment."

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She later walked back her comments in a video on X, saying, "I was not focused on, but I should have been, on the irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate."

Fox News Digital's Adam Sabes contributed to this report.