Dear fellow Patriots:
I am writing to give perspective to recent public reports that the US Department of Education has begun a civil rights investigation of George Mason University. A complaint filed recently alleges the university has “discriminated on the basis of national origin (shared Jewish ancestry) by failing to respond effectively to a pervasive hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty.”
As we prepare a response to the complaint, it is important that we all have an accurate understanding of how safe and welcoming the George Mason community is, particularly as we prepare to welcome tens of thousands of students to campus in just a few short weeks.
George Mason has not been marred by the sort of violence that has rocked so many other campuses elsewhere in Virginia and around the nation following the Hamas attacks of 2023. It is a distinction we are proud of, and work hard each day to maintain.
We accomplish this through a number of measures, some visible to the community, some intentionally invisible, to maintain our tradition as a safe and universally welcoming place to study, work, and live. And we continue to have no place for antisemitism or any form of violence or discrimination anywhere in this community. This is reflected in the board’s antisemitism resolution passed earlier this spring, one of the few approved by any Virginia university.
Communication – We hold a commitment to communicate with the full George Mason community and meet regularly with students, faculty, staff, and community groups. This is my 11th message to the community related to our response to the Hamas attacks. To date, messages have included denunciations of terrorism and antisemitism, as well as enhanced commitments to campus safety.
I and members of my leadership team have kept in constant contact with concerned community members and groups to ensure we are hearing and responding to their concerns as they arise. And when faculty have reached out to me with frustrations or questions, I have personally answered their inquiries.
Safety – Campus demonstrations have not occurred for more than a year, and when they did last year they remained safe, legal, and non-disruptive to university business. No encampments have ever formed at George Mason, and we will not permit them in the future. George Mason was the first university in Virginia to enact a workable process for enforcing the state’s anti-masking laws, and the system developed here was adopted by other universities in the Commonwealth. For all aspects of protests, the rules are clear, widely communicated, and uniformly enforced here
Law enforcement – On two occasions, when George Mason experienced unlawful activity associated with violent antisemitic actions by students. Actions by our leadership team, in coordination with law enforcement, have resolved these issues by providing the proper remedies when required. The vigilance exhibited by our own police department earned them the Combating Antisemitism Movement’s Guardian Award earlier this year. Overall, our leadership team was hailed by leaders of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington for “deploying the full weight of the university's security and disciplinary measures to prevent these students from perpetrating harm on campus.”
Resources – George Mason was one of the first universities in the region to introduce a comprehensive safety and well-being plan for the university, just weeks after the Hamas attacks. The Patriot Plan for Community Safety and Well-Being has been held up as a model for others to follow, and it remains in effect. I encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with its content.
Inclusivity – As always, antisemitism has no place at George Mason University, and never has. This is true for any form of discrimination or violence. We are wholly dedicated to maintaining that ideal throughout our campuses, and are heartened to see a reduction of incident reports from this time a year ago. Our data continues to show that our environment has dramatically improved since the horrific Hamas attacks of 2023, so we are perplexed to be receiving this investigation at this time. Nevertheless, we will respond in a forthright, direct, and timely manner to this and any inquiry.
As the investigation continues, I will keep the community updated. In the meantime, I wish everyone continued health and well-being this summer, as we look forward to the kick-off of the fall 2025 semester.
Sincerely,
Gregory Washington
President