University of Washington Reviewing Student Conduct Code Over Jew-Hatred Concerns

University president vows to address antisemitism and civil rights violations on campus

Apr. 3, 2026 at 12:00am

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A serene, cinematic painting of a university campus building bathed in warm, golden light, with deep shadows casting an unsettling mood, conceptually representing the tensions surrounding antisemitism on college campuses.The University of Washington's response to rising antisemitism on campus will be closely watched as a test case for how higher education can effectively combat Jew-hatred.Washington Today

The University of Washington is reviewing and revising its student conduct code amid rising Jew-hatred on campus since October 7, according to university president Robert J. Jones. Jones said the current code was not written to deal with contemporary issues of antisemitism and vowed to make the university a 'model' for addressing these problems.

Why it matters

The University of Washington has faced a series of antisemitic incidents on campus, including a protest that caused $1 million in damage to an engineering building. The university's response is being closely watched as a test case for how higher education institutions can effectively combat the growing problem of Jew-hatred on college campuses.

The details

Jones said the university has enlisted an 'outside entity' to help rewrite the student conduct code to 'hold people accountable' for antisemitic behavior. He also plans to focus on education as an 'upstream strategy' rather than just managing behavior downstream. The university recently suspended 33 students who were part of an anti-Israel group that caused damage during a protest.

  • On October 7, the university began seeing a rise in Jew-hatred on campus.
  • In May, before Jones assumed his role, the university's previous president informed him about an incident where 33 anti-Israel protesters caused $1 million in damage to an engineering building.

The players

Robert J. Jones

The president of the University of Washington, who has been in his current role for about seven months after previously serving as the chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the president of the State University of New York at Albany.

Ana Mari Cauce

The previous president of the University of Washington, who led the university for a decade.

Super UW

A student group at the University of Washington that was involved in the protest that caused $1 million in damage to an engineering building.

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What they’re saying

“'Our student conduct code was not written for this moment in time. It just absolutely was not written to deal with the contemporary issues.'”

— Robert J. Jones, University of Washington President

“'We don't have to wait for a mandate from the Department of Justice or the Department of Civil Rights to tell me what needs to be done to move this university closer to being that welcoming environment.'”

— Robert J. Jones, University of Washington President

“'To go into a brand-new facility and to do the damage that was done is just something that I still have trouble getting my arms around.'”

— Robert J. Jones, University of Washington President

What’s next

The university president plans to meet with an 'outside entity' that the university enlisted in November to help rewrite the student conduct code in a way that can 'hold people accountable' for antisemitic behavior. He also intends to focus on education as an 'upstream strategy' to address the problem.

The takeaway

The University of Washington's response to rising Jew-hatred on campus will be closely watched as a test case for how higher education institutions can effectively combat antisemitism. The university's efforts to revise its student conduct code and take a more proactive educational approach could serve as a model for other schools facing similar challenges.