Cal Poly given a ‘D’ in 2026 campus antisemitism report card

March 12, 2026

By KAREN VELIE

The Anti-Defamation League gave Cal Poly San Luis Obispo a “D” in 2026 for its handling of antisemitism in its 2026 report card. Just last month, the campus reported an antisemitic hate crime incident.

On the evening of Feb. 28, a group of males in a large white truck drove by Cal Poly’s Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi while yelling antisemitic slurs at the residents. Five to six college-age males then walked onto the Alpha Epsilon Pi property and one of the men punched a member of the Jewish fraternity in the head.

In early 2025, the Anti-Defamation League gave Cal Poly an “F” on its report card which was later changed to a “D” after the university established a Presidential Antisemitism Task Force.

In giving Cal Poly a “D” this week, the Anti-Defamation League listed issues with the way the university publicly condemns antisemitic incidents, the level of hostile anti-Zionist student groups, the level of hostile anti-Zionist staff and faculty activity and not having a Jewish alumni group.

Of the 150 universities and colleges evaluated in 2026 – four received an “F” and eight received a “D.”

Cal Poly’s history of antisemitism:

During an April 4, 2024 lecture by an Israel military veteran, a Cal Poly professor held a Palestinian flag while confronting Jewish students and attendees in the lobby saying, “You are Zionists – you are part of the KKK.”

The professor is also accused of placing the Palestinian flag over the face of a woman as she entered the lobby while saying, “Fuck Israel.”

In May 2024, a faculty member at the university received an email containing antisemitic messages. The messages claimed that “Jewish groups are paying to send U.S. police to train in Israel…to protect Illuminati Jewish elite,” that “Jews control the media and own America” and that Jews “are declaring war on the entire white race.”

That same month, students at Cal Poly issued a 25-page document demanding the university divest from Israel, highlighting ongoing tensions on campus.

In Oct. 2024, graffiti was spray-painted on campus buildings that read “From Gaza to Cal Poly, let the intifada spread.” Also in Oct. 2024, at an anti-Israel rally celebrating the anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic terrorist attack.

In June 2025, the Cal Poly SLO Financial Aid and Student Accounts Office was attacked by approximately four masked individuals who sprayed graffiti on the walls stating “Free Palestine” and “Divest.” They also spray painted the carpets, cubicles, and computers, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

In Jan. 2026, the Cal Poly Library website released an Israel-Palestine research guide, which spread false information about Zionism and criticized the campus Hillel. The guide also suggested that several anti-Zionist student organizations should be viewed in a positive light.

That same month, it was discovered that the campus library had a display of Israel-Palestine books, which reportedly primarily contained publications demonizing Israel and Zionism. The university agreed to include Zionist and/or Jewish perspectives in the display only after a Jewish student filed a complaint.