Christ’s College Apologizes For Botching Anti-Semitism Abuse Complaint
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
(JTA) — The head of a prestigious Cambridge University college apologized to two students whose complaints of anti-Semitic abuse were not upheld fully and inadequately handled.
Jane Stapleton, Master of Christ’s College, Cambridge, said on Thursday that the college now “accepts that racist and anti-Semitic conduct occurred and has apologized to the students who reported it.” Stapleton also announced changes to the College’s complaint-handling procedures, the Jewish News of London reported.
Two students reported suffering racist and anti-Semitic abuse last August while at a college party organized by two sports clubs. The College’s initial investigation failed to identify any individual perpetrator but disciplined two students for swearing and physical aggression, and restricted the societies’ social activity. It did not uphold the students’ complaint of a hate crime.
The complainants were left unhappy with the findings and appealed for a review.
“The Master inadvertently gave the seriously misleading impression that the reporting students’ account of anti-Semitic abuse had been rejected by the College,” the apology read, highlighting one of several problems. “This caused considerable hurt and dismay to the reporting students and others in the Jewish community.”
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