That is the important question that Northwestern University law professor John O. McGinnis takes up in this Law & Liberty essay.
In view of the vitriolic and sometimes violent attacks on Jewish students (or anyone who dares to suggest that Hamas is evil), some administrations are going to set up “antisemitism” committees. McGinnis demurs:
Nevertheless, it is a mistake for universities to create new task forces and bureaucracies focused on antisemitism because they accept the identarian premises of modern university life. Violence, threats of violence, obstruction of others’ speech, or disruption of a college’s administration have no place in university life and should be punished by swift and severe penalties, no matter the target. In contrast, speech, even if hurts the feelings of others, needs to be protected. No government can be trusted with making content-based determinations about speech, and neither can the modern university. Like governments, they are subject to interest group pressures that distort the application of principle.
McGinnis argues that we need new educational institutions that will just focus on equipping students with knowledge they’ll need and eschew politics.
He’s right.