More than 100 Jewish faculty and staff members of Johns Hopkins University recently signed and issued a statement advocating for academic free speech while strongly opposing antisemitism.
The statement emphasizes that it does not represent the views of any particular campus organization or the university itself.
The letter coincides with an event scheduled for Friday, Aug. 8, at noon at which some of the signatories will speak. The “Free Speech is Not Antisemitism” gathering will be held on the sidewalk on the 3400 block of N. Charles Street in front of the “Hopkins Beach” gathering area at the Homewood campus.
The statement is in response to JHU being identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as among 10 universities to be investigated for antisemitism.
“As Johns Hopkins University faculty and staff who are Jewish, we unite today to declare our support for free academic inquiry and the constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceable assembly and free speech,” the letter stated. “We reject exploiting legitimate concerns about antisemitism to justify politically-motivated attacks on education and our international students and colleagues. We strongly support Johns Hopkins University in all efforts to defend our institution and our community against federal intrusions on academic freedom, independent scientific research and free speech.”
The statement goes on to condemn the Trump administration for citing antisemitism as a “false pretense to punish non-US students who express dissenting opinions on political and social issues.”
The statement alleges that at least 37 Hopkins students have had their SEVIS (Student Exchange and Visitor Program) records terminated, and that students at other universities have been suspended or expelled for their vocal opposition to the federal government and/or Israel’s war in Gaza.
“While we hold a range of views about Israel and Gaza … we insist that everyone has a right to due process and that no one should be deported or otherwise penalized for their political statements or beliefs,” the letter stated.
The statement accused the administration of using antisemitism as a “pretext for attacking students, stifling dissent and withholding competitively-awarded federal research funds. Such efforts do not protect the Jewish community. … They can reinforce antisemitic tropes about Jewish wealth and power.”
The statement rejected the characterization of JHU as a center of antisemitic activity.
When antisemitic incidents happen on campus, “the university takes appropriate action,” the statement read. “Johns Hopkins is not an antisemitic institution, does not tolerate an antisemitic environment and has no need for governmental interference in its affairs.”
The statement insisted that Hopkins, like all organizations and institutions, must remain vigilant against all forms of bigotry, including antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias, while promoting respectful dialogue and education.
“The Trump administration strengthens its authoritarian power by pitting communities against one another,” the letter stated. “We reject this tactic and stand with, rather than against, other communities on campus in exercising their non-violent, free speech rights. … Undermining these rights threatens us all; reinforcing them makes us strong.”
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