Northwestern University president to appear again before Congress in August
Schill will participate in an interview with the House Committee on Education & Workforce on Aug. 5, according to a Northwestern spokesperson. Committee Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Mich., first sent a letter to Schill to testify in April, accusing Northwestern of failing to fulfill its commitment to protect Jewish students.
Crain's Chicago Business first reported the news. The Committee on Education & Workforce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Schill last appeared before Congress in spring 2024, weeks after students erected a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus as part of a nationwide movement. Schill reached a deal with protesters five days into the demonstration, allowing the encampment to continue peacefully for several weeks.
Since Schill's last testimony, Walberg said, congressional leaders have not received any documentation or updates on the university's efforts to combat antisemitism.
'The Committee seeks to understand both this disturbing climate of antisemitism at Northwestern as well as the University's apparent failure to protect Jewish students, and therefore seeks to conduct a transcribed interview with you,' Walberg wrote.
A university spokesperson disputed those claims in a statement, noting that Northwestern took 'significant steps to address antisemitism' before the 2024-25 school year. The university released a report in March that outlined those efforts, including updating the student code of conduct and creating mandatory antisemitism training.
'Reports of antisemitism on campus this academic year were down significantly, and we are confident that our actions have made Northwestern a safer and more welcoming place for everyone, including our Jewish students,' the statement said.
Northwestern is among several elite universities that have come under fire from the Trump administration for antisemitism and diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The federal government has frozen more than $790 million in federal funding to Northwestern amid ongoing civil rights investigations.
When Schill appeared before the House committee last year, he was grilled for hours on his handling of Northwestern's encampment. Several leaders of Ivy League schools resigned following testimony at a similar congressional hearing in late 2023.
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