The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designated Pomona College as a “hostile campus” in their December 2025 report that evaluates Islamophobia and free speech on college campuses.
From 2024 to 2025, CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, ranked 51 universities as “unhostile,” “under watch” or “hostile.”
Out of the 51 colleges ranked by CAIR, Pomona is among the 45 classified as hostile.
According to CAIR-LA’s Legal Director Amr Shabaik, a designation of “hostile” means the institution’s actions make its students feel unsafe, targeted or discriminated against.
Shabaik said in an interview with TSL that Pomona’s public dismissal of student calls for divestment from Israel, the Title VI investigation for alleged anti-Palestinian bias launched in 2024 and the crackdown on student protests were among the several factors leading to CAIR’s decision. Its full report also cites President Gabrielle Starr’s suspension of 12 students and specifies “escalated” police force wielded against protesters.
“Many colleges even advertise their history of protest … sending the militarized police to crack down on the students sends a completely different message,” Shabaik said. “It sends a message that your speech is not going to be tolerated, particularly when it comes to pro-Palestinian speech. And that if you decide to engage in any type of speech similar to this again, in the future, there are going to be militarized police ready to shut down your speech activity.”
In a statement to TSL, a Pomona College spokesperson reaffirmed the college’s commitment to confronting all forms of hatred, including Islamophobia, antisemitism, racism and other kinds of bias.
“The college regularly hosts and supports programming related to Muslim life, Islamophobia, and Palestinian experiences, alongside student‑organized religious observances and interfaith gatherings,” the Pomona spokesperson wrote. “Pomona students are encouraged to engage openly with a wide range of speakers and perspectives.”
In an email to Pomona’s student body, Starr announced a resolution agreement in Dec. 2025 to a Title VI complaint received by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which alleged that Jewish students were experiencing antisemitism on campus.
“It is my hope that the steps we are committing to will also enhance our ability to effectively identify and address other kinds of shared ancestry discrimination. Hatred takes many forms, and understanding its complexities is key to confronting it,” Starr wrote.
Shabaik, however, said CAIR is concerned about the resolution’s potential impact on students’ freedoms.
“We’re concerned about the parameters of [that] settlement there, and what it means again, for a further crackdown on speech that favors Palestinian or talks about Palestinian human rights and human dignity,” Shabaik said.
“We’re concerned about the parameters of [that] settlement there, and what it means again, for a further crackdown on speech that favors Palestinian or talks about Palestinian human rights and human dignity,” Shabaik said.“It seems like the settlement, unfortunately, may lead to further cracking down on speech and expression when it comes to this arena.”
According to the college’s statement, most demonstrations on Pomona’s campus have taken place in accordance with the college’s policy and proceeded without incident.
“No one participating in such protests, regardless of their political or ideological convictions, has been sanctioned,” the spokesperson wrote. “But when actions move outside of those policies — such as entering restricted spaces or disrupting essential operations — the College has a responsibility to respond in ways that prioritize safety and access for all members of our campus community.”
According to Shabaik, CAIR hopes to inform students about what is happening across the country and empower them to continue their advocacy on college campuses. Shabaik said the classification was important for both current and prospective students.
“[Prospective students would] have to really consider whether or not they feel like they would be going to a campus environment that would welcome them … that would protect their advocacy on issues that they may feel important to their lives,” Shabaik said. “And particularly for Palestinian Muslim American students, going to a situation where you are not going to be protected by your school, where you are actively being harmed by your school.”
Shabaik said Pomona’s actions are reflective of a pattern CAIR was seeing in colleges and universities across the nation under the Trump administration.
“We’re always hopeful that universities can learn from prior mistakes and to improve and to implement policies and procedures that include situations rather than make them worse,” Shabaik said. “I think there’s still a ton of work to be done … but that’s why it’s important for students to continue to advocate for those improved policies … and better campus conditions for all students.”
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