On Feb. 3, 2025, Nebraska lawmaker Sen. Brian Hardin brought forth a new bill to the Nebraska Education Committee, LB538. The proposed bill would require schools and colleges to adopt policies and training on antisemitism and use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism. This bill is part of a larger nationwide initiative to curb antisemitism at colleges in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks and the student-led pro-Palestinian protests in the spring of 2024.
“At Doane University, inclusion is one of our core values, which means that we are intentional about continuously creating an environment in which all individuals and communities are able to fully participate, belong and thrive in authentic ways,” Vice President of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Government Relations Luis Sotelo said. “As such, antisemitism–and other forms of illegal discrimination and harassment, including those protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964–have no place in our university community.”
While this bill only applies to public universities and colleges such as the University of Nebraska Lincoln and Kearney, the bill has started a larger conversation about antisemitism in colleges, especially regarding the nations of Israel and Palestine. Some critics of the bill say the bill may be used to prevent criticism of Israel, which is the only majority Jewish nation in the world and a close ally of the United States, and their current and ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
Sotelo, however, believes that Doane is uniquely positioned to talk about antisemitism, Israel and Palestine as Doane can facilitate healthy and productive conversations.
“A university community grounded in the liberal arts, as is Doane, is ever more relevant when society faces heightened polarization and division because it promotes the understanding of multiple perspectives and freedom of thought. This approach strengthens our ability to critically interrogate our worldviews in order to collaborate across differences with the aim of problem-solving,” Sotelo said. “There are many examples of how Doane facilitates robust discussions–in the classroom and outside the classroom–including ‘The Longest Table,’ a collaboration between Faculty Council, Staff Council, Student Congress, and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.”
As a private institution, Doane is not required to adhere to the proposed bill. However, Sotelo notes that Doane has a robust non-discrimination policy that protects students and staff alike from antisemitic or anti-Islamic hate speech and that resources to report potential infractions exist at Doane. LB538 is expected to continue through the Nebraska capital, though the Education Committee has not taken further action in moving the bill along as of Feb. 24, 2025.
