New DePaul policy would require those wearing face coverings to remove them upon request

CHICAGO (WLS) -- DePaul University has put in place a new "identification verification" policy, one of several initiatives pushed for by the Chicago Jewish Alliance following an attack against two Jewish students last November.

The new policy -- which went into effect last Friday - "requires students, faculty, and staff to temporarily remove masks or face coverings upon request from a Public Safety officer," according to a notification emailed to DePaul University faculty and students by President Robert Manuel.

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A suspect was arrested and charged with aggravated battery along with hate crime counts last month after allegedly attacking Max Long and Michael Kaminsky, leaving them with a concussion and broken wrist.

Following the attack, the Chicago Jewish Alliance met with President Manuel to discuss "the campus climate that led to Max and Michael actually being attacked," co-founder Josh Weiner previously told the I-Team.

This policy shift comes days before President Manuel is scheduled to testify before a congressional committee hearing centered on "stopping the spread of antisemitism on American campuses." That hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Manuel will also be joined by the presidents of Haverford and Cal Poly colleges.

The Chicago Jewish Alliance said in a statement, "This policy reflects a direct outcome of the five initiatives we presented to President Manuel on April 17. It's a step in the right direction-one we pushed for-but policy alone isn't progress. Implementation is. We welcome DePaul's willingness to move in this direction and will continue working closely with the administration to ensure these measures are fully enacted, not just announced. Much more remains to be done to make DePaul a safe and accountable environment for all students, including its Jewish community."