After discrimination complaints, the University of Michigan commits to new training

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – An important public meeting of the Chancellor of the University of Michigan is scheduled for Thursday.

This is the first time since the U.S. Department of Education found that the University of Michigan had failed to adequately investigate complaints of anti-Semitic, anti-Palestinian or anti-Muslim acts on campus.

All complaints stem from a camp on the U of M Diag that lasted about a month.

Police cleared the building from campus after the fire marshal declared it unsafe.

Before the camp was cleared, some students protested in front of the regents’ houses in the early morning hours.

They shouted, beat drums and placed fake bodies on their lawns. When the police arrived, they ran away. The university described these acts as a “dangerous escalation.”

Universities across the country are struggling to strike a balance between the right to free speech and protecting students and faculty from discrimination.

The University of Michigan has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, saying it will conduct a climate assessment, provide additional training and modify policies as needed. U of M President Santa J. Ono spoke about the agreement.

“We continually work to educate our community about the rights and privileges of free speech to ensure that debate does not degenerate into targeted harassment or bullying,” Ono said.

–> Fake body bags left outside regents’ homes during pro-Palestinian protests at the University of Michigan