The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and its Massachusetts chapter (CAIR-Mass) today designated the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) as a ‘Hostile Campus’ following violent crackdowns on peaceful anti-genocide protesters, discriminatory sanctions, and a pattern of neglect in addressing anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian harassment.
SEE: CAIR Designates University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) as a Hostile Campus
In May 2024, UMass deployed militarized police against students at a Gaza solidarity encampment, resulting in over 130 arrests and injuries. Students were tackled, pepper-sprayed, and subjected to inhumane treatment, sparking a no-confidence vote from faculty and students in Chancellor Javier Reyes. UMass earned a 49.2% failing score in the 2025 Free Speech Rankings by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened an investigation into a complaint against UMass administration by Palestine Legal.
According to the complaint, the university failed to protect Muslim and Palestinian students from online threats and harassment, a reflection of broader trends CAIR has documented in its 2025 Massachusetts Bullying Report, which shows rising anti-Muslim bias in educational environments.
“What is happening at UMass Amherst is more than a local issue. It is part of a national trend of harming Muslim and Palestinian students and their allies for political dissent,” said Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, Esq., Executive Director, CAIR-Massachusetts.
“UMass has shown a clear disregard for student rights and safety,” said CAIR National’s Research and Advocacy Specialist, Dr. Maryam Hasan. “Suppressing free speech and ignoring hate creates a hostile, unsafe campus environment for all who go there.”
As part of CAIR’s Unhostile Campus Campaign, CAIR has designated 22 colleges and universities as hostile due to their creation of a thoroughly hostile and dangerous environment for anti-genocide students.
Students, staff, and faculty who wish for their university or college campus to be potentially designated as a hostile campus should complete the ‘Report a Hostile Campus’ form. This form is intended solely to inform CAIR’s ‘UnHostile Campus Campaign.’ Individuals seeking CAIR’s legal and advocacy services should contact their local office or chapter or CAIR’s National Civil Rights Department.
Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
CAIR’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CONTACT: Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, Esq., Executive Director of CAIR-MA, tamatul-wadud@cair.com, 617-862-9159; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com