Med school deans tell House panel they’ve axed anti-Israel, ‘settler colonialism’ courses

Leaders from the University of Illinois, UCLA, and UCSF medical schools testified before the House Committee on Education and Workforce regarding their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Republican lawmakers, led by Chairman Tim Walberg, criticized these programs, alleging they fostered anti-Israel bias and antisemitism by categorizing individuals by race and identity. Walberg stated, "It soon became clear that the pervasive antisemitism we were investigating was the result of a deeper problem… the activist infrastructure that these medical schools themselves had constructed."

• The deans confirmed they had discontinued courses with titles such as “Colonialism and the Role of Medicine and Race” and “Race, Science and Hate: The Case of Antisemitism,” with UCLA Dean Dr. Steve Dubinett noting, "We determined that some of the content was not appropriate for a medical school curriculum."
• Democrats on the committee argued that the hearing rejected scientifically established racial health factors, citing diseases like Tay-Sachs prevalent in specific populations.
• The hearing also addressed transgender medicine, with Republicans questioning the deans on topics such as pregnancy in transgender men.
• The deans affirmed their commitment to combating antisemitism, with Dubinett stating, "We’re doing a lot in the area of antisemitism and we stand against antisemitism strongly."