Jewish groups ask IRS to probe CUNY Law’s tax-exempt status after ‘hate speech’
Two Jewish advocacy groups have requested an investigation into the tax-exempt status of the City University of New York (CUNY) Law School following a highly contentious commencement speech that was widely criticized as being anti-Semitic and divisive. During her May 12 speech, law graduate Fatima Mousa Mohammed accused Israel of indiscriminately murdering Palestinians, while also labeling the New York Police Department as “fascist” and calling for a “revolution” to take on the legal system’s “white supremacy.” Advocacy groups the National Jewish Advocacy Center and International Legal Forum called on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to review whether CUNY had violated its non-profit status by engaging in political or lobbying activities. They also accused CUNY of hosting speakers who express anti-Israel sentiments or criticize Israeli policies, and noted that the faculty had endorsed the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel. In response, CUNY’s Board of Trustees condemned the speech as “hate speech” and “unacceptable,” while CUNY Law professors demanded that the administration pull back labeling Mohammed’s address as “hate speech.”
FAQs:
What did the speech say, and why was it controversial?
Fatima Mousa Mohammed’s speech accused Israel of indiscriminately murdering Palestinians and described the New York Police Department as “fascist.” She also called for a “revolution” to take on the legal system’s “white supremacy.” The speech received widespread condemnation as it contained what many saw as extremist rhetoric, divisive language, and explicit displays of anti-Semitism.
What have the advocacy groups requested, and why?
The National Jewish Advocacy Center and International Legal Forum have asked the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to investigate whether the City University of New York (CUNY) Law School had violated its non-profit status by engaging in political or lobbying activities. They accused CUNY of hosting speakers who express anti-Israel sentiments or criticize Israeli policies, and noted that the faculty had endorsed a boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel. They also alleged that the school had a history of anti-Semitism.
How has CUNY responded to the controversy?
CUNY’s Board of Trustees condemned the speech as “hate speech” and “unacceptable.” However, CUNY Law professors demanded that the administration pull back labeling Mohammed’s address as “hate speech,” arguing that it was protected under the First Amendment. The controversy has sparked wider debate about freedom of speech and political viewpoints in higher education institutions.
What has been the wider reaction to the controversy?
The controversy has drawn criticism from elected officials and civic leaders, who have condemned the speech’s extremist rhetoric and anti-Semitic overtones. Some GOP state lawmakers have demanded that Gov. Kathy Hochul withhold taxpayer funds from any CUNY campus that allows incendiary rhetoric at school-sponsored events. There has also been a wider debate about the limits of freedom of speech and academic freedom in higher education.
After ‘Hate Speech,’ Jewish Groups Request IRS to Investigate the Tax-Exempt Status of CUNY Law
Two Jewish advocacy groups, the National Jewish Advocacy Center and the International Legal Forum, have requested that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) launch an investigation into whether the City University of New York (CUNY) Law School violated its tax-exempt status by allowing its graduates to make political speeches at graduation. Specifically, the groups are calling for an investigation into whether the school engaged in political or lobbying activities that would be prohibited for a non-profit organization. The request follows a speech given by 2023 law graduate Fatima Mousa Mohammed, in which she accused Israel of indiscriminately murdering Palestinians. The speech received widespread condemnation for its “extremist rhetoric, divisive nature, and explicit display of anti-Semitism.”
The National Jewish Advocacy Center Director Mark Goldfeder and International Legal Forum CEO and lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky wrote to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel on June 2, citing the school faculty’s unanimous resolution to boycott, divest from, and sanction Israel, which they claim is discriminatory. They allege that this resolution violated the school’s non-profit status by engaging in substantial political and lobbying activities, noting that Mohammed specifically referenced the faculty’s endorsement of BDS in her speech.
Despite denunciations of the speech from the CUNY Board of Trustees and CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez, the advocacy groups called the response “not only late but also grossly inadequate,” accusing the school of a history of anti-Semitism. The CUNY Law faculty has demanded that the school’s administration retract labeling the remarks as “hate speech,” claiming that Mohammed’s speech is protected under the First Amendment.
Republican state lawmakers in New York have also called for Governor Kathy Hochul to withhold taxpayer funds from any CUNY campus that allows incendiary rhetoric at school-sponsored events. In response, the Jewish advocacy groups are calling for an investigation into whether the CUNY Law School violated its tax-exempt status by allowing graduates to make political speeches at graduation. Mohammed declined to comment on her speech when reached by The Post last week.