In a recent development, the leader of a House committee investigating claims of antisemitism on Harvard's campus has criticized the Ivy League school for its "woefully inadequate" response to the committee's request for documents. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), head of the House Education and Workforce Committee, has warned that Harvard could face "compulsory measures" if it fails to comply with the inquiry.

Harvard had been given a deadline until 5 p.m. on Tuesday to submit all documents pertaining to reports of antisemitism, including internal emails, text messages, disciplinary actions taken against harassers of Jewish students, and funding records, particularly those involving donations from Qatari sources. However, university officials have reportedly only provided publicly available documents, according to Rep. Foxx's statement.

Expressing her dissatisfaction, Rep. Foxx stated, "Rather than answering the committee's request in a substantive manner, Harvard has chosen to provide letters from nonprofits and student handbooks, many of which are already publicly available. This is unacceptable." She further added that Harvard must produce the remaining documents promptly or face potential "compulsory measures." These measures could potentially include subpoenas, as stated by Nick Barley, a spokesman for the committee.

Although the committee's focus is primarily on Harvard, it has also sent a similar request for documents to officials at the University of Pennsylvania. Rep. Foxx expressed "grave concerns regarding the inadequacy of Penn's response to antisemitism on campus" in a letter addressed to the university's chairman, Ramanan Raghevendan, and interim president, Larry Jameson. The letter cited incidents of antisemitic graffiti on school property, including an instance where a Jewish fraternity house was defaced with the phrase "The Jews R Nazis."

Furthermore, the letter noted a civil lawsuit filed by two Jewish students alleging that Jews on campus are subjected to vile and threatening antisemitic slurs. These incidents, along with a Brandeis University study ranking Penn in its worst category for antisemitic hostility, paint a concerning picture regarding the university's response to antisemitism.

The congresswoman also highlighted a Palestinian literature festival hosted by Penn in September, featuring a speaker who called for "Death to Israel." When questioned about this, then-president Liz Magill stated that it was a "context-dependent decision." Rep. Foxx argued that Penn's institutional failures regarding antisemitism extend beyond these two leaders, accusing other university officials of displaying a double standard in handling antisemitic vandalism, harassment, and intimidation.

In her letter, Rep. Foxx demanded that Penn hand over all internal communications, minutes from board meetings, and evidence of disciplinary measures taken against those who harassed Jewish students. She also requested documents relating to the Palestine Writes Festival and any changes made to the university's governance documents and code of conduct following the October 7 terror attack. Penn has been given until February 7 to comply with the document request.

The Post reached out to both Harvard and Penn for comment on the matter. In response, Harvard spokesman Jason Newton stated the university's commitment to cooperation and addressing the congressional inquiry's questions, denouncing all forms of antisemitism and prioritizing the safety and well-being of its students.

As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen how Harvard and Penn will respond to the committee's demands for documents and whether further actions will be taken to address the issue of antisemitism on their respective campuses.