Haverford president says college is revising policies after reports of antisemitism; declines to provide aggregate discipline counts

Haverford College President Wendy Raymond told a House Education and Labor Committee hearing that the college condemns antisemitism "in the strongest possible terms," described steps the college has taken since October 2023 and apologized to Jewish students who said they felt marginalized.

Raymond said Haverford, a small liberal-arts college outside Philadelphia with about 1,500 undergraduates, has updated policies, strengthened campus safety, launched programs to combat antisemitism and formed an ad hoc committee on free expression. "I hear you and acknowledge that we can do better, and I can do better," Raymond said in her opening remarks.

Committee members cited a range of allegations tied to Haverford, including student and faculty social-media posts, disruptions of campus events and reports from campus groups such as Haverford's Shabbat House. Republican members pressed Raymond on specific cases and asked whether named faculty members and administrators faced discipline. Raymond repeatedly said the college investigates alleged incidents and follows disciplinary processes but declined to disclose aggregate counts of suspensions or expulsions, saying the college does not publicize those numbers.

During questioning she acknowledged that "there have been some" disciplinary steps but declined to provide details during the hearing. Lawmakers also cited social-media posts attributed to a religion professor and other faculty members; Raymond characterized such posts as "incredibly harmful" and said they were disavowed but declined to comment on individual personnel matters.

Raymond also testified that Haverford's social honor code is student-written and under active revision. She described efforts to support Jewish students through active Jewish student groups, staff and faculty networks, and policies intended to address harassment and bias.

Committee members pressed Raymond to provide more transparency on outcomes; some lawmakers said failure to disclose aggregate disciplinary statistics raised questions about accountability. Raymond committed to continuing policy reviews and to working to make the campus more welcoming to Jewish students.