(NewsNation) — The White House on Tuesday announced a new plan to counter antisemitism and Islamophobia at schools and college campuses, incidents of which have spiked in the month following the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
The new plan involves a series of webinars and listening sessions hosted by the Education and Agriculture departments as well as an updated hate crimes threat response guide from the FBI, the White House said in a statement.
The listening sessions will take place this week between senior Education Department officials and pre-K-12 school leaders and university leaders in order to “glean key insights from the field about how some schools are keeping students safe.” Listening sessions are planned in the coming weeks for students, educators and staff.
The department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education will host a webinar series focused on helping schools prevent and respond to hate-based threats. The first session begins Dec. 6, followed by one Dec. 13, Jan. 17 and in February.
The Agriculture Department will connect with rural colleges by hosting a webinar Thursday. People can register for it here.
Additionally, the White House said the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department have hosted calls with campus law enforcement and continue to provide resources to support schools’ security requirements.
The Education Department has also reminded schools of their legal obligation under Title VI to prevent discrimination and harassment.
An updated complaint form now specifies that the protections extend to students “who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh, or based on other shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics — making it easier for students and others who experience such discrimination to seek redress for it.”
The White House effort comes a week after the Education Department said in a letter to schools that addressing hate crimes is an urgent matter.