High Country Times

In a recent letter addressed to Dr. Deepak Srivastava, President of J. David Gladstone Institutes, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce (E&W) and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C) have sought information regarding persistent antisemitic harassment at Gladstone Institutes. The committees expressed concerns about what they describe as inadequate responses from the institute's leadership.

The letter was signed by several key figures: E&W Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC), E&W Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development Chair Burgess Owens (R-UT), E&C Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), E&C Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and E&C Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA).

"The Gladstone Institutes, an independent biomedical research organization, claims that it takes an active stance against serious issues like discrimination and harassment," reads part of the letter. "However, these values do not seem to be reflected in the actions of leadership in response to recent concerns of antisemitic harassment and discrimination within the Institutes."

The committees highlighted their worries over reports of antisemitic behavior at Gladstone, coupled with what they view as insufficient action from its leadership. They noted that failing to ensure a safe environment could result in withholding federal funds from Gladstone.

"Failing to comply with basic safety protections for members of Gladstone or failure to respond appropriately to and prevent harassment and discrimination, no matter the cause, may be grounds to withhold federal funds from Gladstone," states another section of the letter.

Gladstone received over $41 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Fiscal Year 2023. According to NIH policies, institutions receiving federal funds must maintain work environments free from discriminatory harassment.

The issue arose following an incident where a graduate student sent an email perceived as antisemitic shortly after a terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Concerns were raised by faculty about their safety following this email.

Jewish members at Gladstone have reported feeling marginalized due to alleged instances of antisemitism not being adequately addressed by leadership. This includes claims related to events such as Jewish American Heritage Month not being acknowledged while other cultural celebrations were observed.

Further complicating matters is Gladstone's affiliation with institutions also under congressional investigation for similar issues. These include UCSF, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University.