House Republicans have launched an investigation into alleged antisemitism at California’s top medical schools, demanding that the University of California Los Angeles and UC San Francisco hand over years of internal documents. The investigation, led by House Education and Workforce Committee chairman Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., aims to uncover how the universities responded to reports of Jewish people experiencing hostility and fear on their campuses.
In letters sent to the medical schools, Walberg set a two-week deadline for them to provide all documents and communications since September 1, 2021, relating to reports or complaints of antisemitic incidents. The letters also demand any communications among administrators or staff regarding the complaints.
“The Committee has become aware that Jewish students, faculty, and patients have been experiencing hostility and fear at the university, and it has not been demonstrated that the university has meaningfully responded to address and mitigate this problem,” Walberg stated in the letter.
The letter to UCSF cited incidents such as Jewish students concealing aspects of their Jewish identity while attending the university and being subjected to derogatory remarks. Another instance involved a student allegedly telling a Jewish student that “Jews control the banks,” while a lab technician reportedly made insensitive remarks about Israel to the same Jewish student.
In a separate letter, Walberg also requested similar documents from the University of Illinois College of Medicine as part of the investigation.
This House investigation comes in the wake of the Trump administration’s scrutiny of antisemitism allegations at UCLA, where federal funding has been suspended over violations of the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The administration is seeking a $1 billion settlement from UCLA to resolve the discrimination and antisemitism allegations.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
In response to the proposed settlement, UC President James Milliken expressed concerns about the financial impact on the university system and its critical research mission. UCLA has already agreed to a $6 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit brought by Jewish students and faculty members over the handling of anti-Israel protests on campus.
UCLA, UCSF, and UICM have not yet provided comments on the ongoing investigations.
For more information, refer to the full letter to UCSF here.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
