Harter signs on to protect Jewish students at UNLV

Jennifer Knight

Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2002 | 9:46 a.m.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas President Carol Harter has joined 315 other college presidents in signing a "no tolerance" statement that aims to protect Jewish students from anti-Semitism.

Some college presidents refrained from signing the document sponsored by the American Jewish Committee because they said the declaration, which calls for a campus free of intimidation, singled out a particular group for protection.

Harter said she signed it because the document's tenets were broad enough.

"I would sign the same document for any group," Harter said. "Any action that is divisive in nature, whether it be hate speech or an action aimed at a particular group, should not be tolerated."

The statement was drafted by the American Jewish Committee to address anti-Semitic acts that have taken place on college campuses in recent months.

"In the past few months, students who are Jewish or supporters of Israel's right to exist -- Zionists -- have received death threats and threats of violence," the statement reads. "These practices and others, directed against any group or cause, will not be tolerated on campuses."

The singling out of Jewish students for protection caused several presidents to back out of signing the statement. They said they objected because the statement was not broad enough.

Among them was Dartmouth College President James Wright.

"(Wright) declined to sign the statement because he believed it wasn't sufficiently broad," Dartmouth spokeswoman Laurel Stavis said.

While there have been no reported incidents of anti-Semitism at UNLV recently, several Muslims reported being harassed after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Despite that, a representative of a Muslim student group said the statement signed by Harter is inclusive enough to protect most students.

"Even though Jewish people are cited specifically, it contains items that we can all support," said Muhammed Ali, president of UNLV Muslim Student Association.

Officials with the American Jewish Committee said the majority of presidents they contacted also saw the statement as broad.

"If you read the statement it is very inclusive," said Kenneth Bandler of the American Jewish Committee. "The hope (is) that more universities would join in this initiative to restore the campuses to what they should be -- which is a place for open discussion without threats or violence."