Quick Read
- Cal Poly received a ‘D’ grade from the ADL for its failure to implement promised antisemitism education programs.
- The report follows a February 28 hate crime at the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house where students were physically assaulted.
- University officials maintain they have made significant strides, citing ongoing projects like the creation of an interfaith center.
SAN LUIS OBISPO (Azat TV) – California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, has once again been issued a “D” grade by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in its annual Campus Antisemitism Report Card. The assessment, released this week, highlights what the organization describes as a return to “prior inaction” by university leadership, despite previous commitments to overhaul safety and educational protocols.
Stalled Progress and Campus Security Concerns
The report card arrives at a volatile time for the university. On February 28, members of the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) Jewish fraternity were targeted in a reported hate crime, where suspects allegedly shouted antisemitic slurs and physically assaulted a student. This incident underscores the ADL’s findings, which cite a significant uptick in local antisemitic activity on the Central Coast, marking an 850% increase over the last five years according to regional director Joshua Burt.
University spokesperson Matt Lazier expressed disagreement with the grade, stating that the assessment fails to account for the “significant strides” the institution has made over the past year. Lazier emphasized that the university maintains ongoing dialogues with Jewish leaders and students, though the ADL contends that promised programs regarding antisemitism education for students have yet to fully materialize.
Institutional Commitments Under Scrutiny
The university’s handling of antisemitism gained national attention in May 2025, when President Jeffrey Armstrong testified before Congress. During that hearing, Armstrong pledged to integrate antisemitism education into standard anti-discrimination training, establish an interfaith center, and endow a chair for Jewish studies. While the university has successfully completed the formation of an antisemitism task force and hosted a civil discourse panel, officials acknowledge that other projects, including the interfaith center, remain ongoing.
The ADL’s report also criticized the university’s reaction to a June 2025 incident in which protestors vandalized the Student Accounts and Financial Aid office. The administration’s failure to explicitly name the Jewish community or label the act as antisemitic in its public response was cited as a missed opportunity for clear leadership.
Academic and Cultural Impact
The tensions have extended into the university’s academic infrastructure, specifically regarding the Kennedy Library. Following complaints from Jewish students, the university removed a research guide that the ADL claimed spread misinformation about Zionism and criticized the campus Hillel. The university subsequently agreed to diversify a library collection display on the Israel-Palestine conflict to include Jewish and Zionist perspectives, an action that was followed by an apology from President Armstrong to Hillel and other Jewish organizations.
While Cal Poly continues to navigate the complexities of campus discourse and safety, the persistent low grade from the ADL suggests a widening gap between administrative policy announcements and the lived experiences of Jewish students on campus.