On Dec. 10, Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr announced a resolution agreement to a Title VI complaint received by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in April 2024, which alleged that Jewish students were experiencing antisemitism on campus.
The agreement comes after a “voluntary mediation process” between Pomona and The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (Brandeis Center), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Hillel International, with the support of a neutral observer from OCR, according to Starr.
The terms of Pomona’s settlement agreement dictate that the college will appoint a Title VI coordinator and Jewish Life and Antisemitism Advisory Council, mandate Title VI training for all students, faculty and staff and amend demonstration policies, among other changes beginning in Spring 2026. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.
The agreement stipulates that its provisions will be in effect for a settlement period of four consecutive academic semesters, concluding at the end of Spring 2028, though some programs will run longer.
“The Resolution Agreement acts on our longstanding goal of ensuring every individual at Pomona feels they have full and equal access to collaborate, study, teach and create within our vibrant and diverse academic community, while also reaffirming our deeply held values of free speech (including the right to peaceful protest), academic freedom and open inquiry,” Starr wrote in her statement.
Per the agreement, President Starr stated that Pomona will now use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism to determine whether actions are considered antisemitic. This is the same definition federal agencies employ when investigating and enforcing Title VI complaints.
Pomona will consult “contemporary examples” of antisemitism “to the extent that any examples might be useful as evidence of discriminatory intent,” according to the agreement.
Such examples include “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” and “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis,” among others listed by the IHRA.
Claremont Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) responded to the agreement on Instagram, warning that the use of IHRA’s definition “dangerously conflates anti-Zionism and antisemitism.”
The agreement states that, “for many Jewish students, Zionism is an integral part of their identity and their ethnic and ancestral heritage,” and that many Jewish students may experience anti-Zionism as antisemitism. Accordingly, the college says it will protect Jewish students from anti-Zionist rhetoric that “rises to the level of harassment and discrimination.”
SJP also said in their post that the settlement’s provisions infringe upon students’ free speech rights, rather than building community or ensuring safety as the settlement claims. The group stated it will remain committed to its goals of disclosure and divestment. Pomona previously denounced a boycott of Israel that was proposed by the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) in 2024.
As included in the agreement, Pomona will offer lectures and workshops related to the history of antisemitism over the course of the settlement period.
“The college will facilitate, support and advertise programming on Jewish identity, including the Zionist component of Jewish identity,” the agreement reads.
Pomona plans to appoint a Title VI coordinator before the Spring 2026 semester to ensure it responds properly to allegations of harassment or discrimination. This includes antisemitism or Islamophobia based on “shared ancestry, ethnicity or national origin,” Starr wrote in her statement.
Unlike other provisions detailed in the agreement, the Title VI coordinator position will remain active through at least the Spring 2029 semester.
The coordinator will share similar responsibilities to current Title IX coordinators, overseeing and evaluating the college’s compliance with Title VI. The “Diversity at Pomona” website will add a link to report Title VI incidents, a feature already in place for Title IX incidents.
Further, Pomona will mandate annual Title VI training for all students, faculty and staff. Registered student organizations (RSOs) on-campus, the Judicial Council and ASPC will have to complete “additional enhanced” Title VI training.
“Through the complaint resolution process, concerns were raised about whether student leadership across the College adequately understood antisemitism and anti-Zionism,” Eric Abelev, Chief Communications Officer at Pomona, wrote to TSL when asked why student organizations required further training. “ … In light of the complex nature of these concepts and recognizing the important role that student leadership has on the College’s campus, the College agreed that enhanced training should be added as part of the College’s existing training requirements for student leaders.”
Required Title VI training for all students and faculty will explain what the college deems “prohibited antisemitic harassment” and outline its applicable policies and procedures.
Enhanced training, meanwhile, will “describe the responsibilities of RSOs and those organizations’ members.” Pomona will seek input from Hillel International, the ADL and the Brandeis Center to “determine the entity conducting this training.” All training will be informed by the IHRA’s working definition of antisemitism.
The College will also establish an Advisory Council on Jewish Life and Antisemitism that will develop programming to improve the campus climate for all 5C community members, according to the settlement. The group will consist of selected Jewish student leaders, staff and outside community stakeholders, such as Claremont Hillel and Chabad of the Claremont Colleges leadership.
Pomona has amended its identification policy as further outlined in the agreement, particularly with regard to masking at protests. The agreement cites the University of Virginia’s (UVA) “Concealment of Identity” policy, which requires masked protesters to identify themselves to university officials upon request.
UVA’s policy relies on stricter Virginia laws which make it illegal to conceal one’s identity on public or private property without written consent. California’s laws on masking are relatively less stringent. Masking is only considered unlawful if used to evade identification relating to public offense infractions.
When asked about the specifics of Pomona’s masking policy given these state-level differences, Abelev said that the policy is still being developed. However, he confirmed that “choosing to wear a mask or face covering on College property will continue to be allowed,” citing personal choices for religious, health, or other reasons.
Abelev stated that Pomona officials will only request identification for individuals engaging in activities that otherwise violate College policy.
“The policy will clarify that no person, while on College property, shall refuse to identify themselves to College officials who are acting in the performance of their duties in situations where it is determined that assistance or intervention is needed,” Abelev wrote. “Failure to provide one’s identification in this circumstance will, itself, be a violation of College policy. Moreover, any form of concealing one’s identity with the intent of intimidating any person or group, or for the purpose of evading or escaping discovery, recognition, or identification in the commission of violations of any College policy, or municipal, state, or federal laws, shall constitute an independent violation of policy.”
In a statement to TSL, Director of Community Relations for Claremont Hillel Jill Stark said the organization views the settlement as an “important step” to protecting Israeli and Jewish students and will continue to partner with Pomona to ensure it implements the reforms outlined in the agreement.
This piece was updated Dec. 19, 2025, to include statements from SJP and Claremont Hillel.
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