UCF Investigates Itself, Finds No Wrongdoing
Development likely to hamper fight against antisemitism at UCF; state complaint process now concluded with no redress for victims of anti-Jewish racism
Following an initial investigation, UCF’s internal audit department has stated that it “does not plan to conduct an investigation or provide a response” to a state complaint alleging antisemitism, closing an important avenue for redressing severe anti-Jewish racism at America’s largest public university.
University Audit, which internally handles allegations of wrongdoing and illegal activities, was tasked by the State Board of Governors - the entity charged with overseeing Florida’s public universities - with investigating the antisemitism situation at UCF. The investigation was opened in response to a complaint filed by a coalition of Jewish students and allies, alleging violations of state and federal law at the hands of UCF’s administration.
It’s unclear why the State Board of Governors passed off the investigation to an internal department at UCF instead of performing the investigation themselves. According to the student who submitted the complaint, they were not given the option to appeal the decision to make the investigation internal, nor were they allowed to appeal the closure of the investigation by University Audit.
It seems self-evident that UCF’s internal audit department is heavily incentivized to clear itself of wrongdoing in matters involving violations of state and federal law, which can incur substantial legal liability for the university: the presence of University officials in this investigation ensured that it would be torpedoed before it even truly began.
The student in charge of the complaint told the UCF Jewish Monitor that they plan to refile it with another agency in the State of Florida. Yet the State has not once taken any action to help the Jewish students on its largest campus, despite being made aware of the issue multiple times. Even Gov. Ron DeSantis has been contacted directly regarding this issue to no avail.
We will keep you updated on further actions taken by Jewish students to enforce their rights on campus.