Columbia Univ. leaders to testify on Capitol Hill about campus antisemitism

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S PRESIDENT AND BOARD CO-CHAIRS ARE GEARING UP FOR A SIGNIFICANT EVENT ON CAPITOL HILL.

THEY’RE SET TO TESTIFY AT A HOUSE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COMMITTEE HEARING DEDICATED TO ADDRESSING ANTI SEMITISM ON THE NEW YORK CAMPUS.

ORIGINALLY, COLUMBIA’S PRESIDENT WAS INVITED TO TESTIFY AT A TUMULTUOUS DECEMBER HEARING, WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO THE RESIGNATIONS OF THE PRESIDENTS OF HARVARD AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. HOWEVER, DUE TO A SCHEDULING CONFLICT, COLUMBIA’S PRESIDENT COULDN’T ATTEND. 

BUT NOW, THE SPOTLIGHT IS ON COLUMBIA’S LEADERSHIP, AS THEY PREPARE TO FACE QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR CAMPUS’S HANDLING OF ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS. 

COMMITTEE CHAIR VIRGINIA FOXX EMPHASIZED THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION, CITING “SOME OF THE WORST CASES OF ANTISEMITIC ASSAULTS, HARASSMENT, AND VANDALISM” AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

FOXX STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING HOW THE UNIVERSITY IS ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES AND WHY ITS OWN POLICIES MAY HAVE FALLEN SHORT IN PROTECTING JEWISH STUDENTS.

A SPOKESPERSON FOR COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY EXPRESSED THE SCHOOL’S COMMITMENT TO COMBATING ANTISEMITISM AND THEIR READINESS TO DISCUSS THEIR EFFORTS IN SAFEGUARDING JEWISH STUDENTS AND MAINTAINING CAMPUS SAFETY.

ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION AND A PALESTINIAN RIGHTS GROUP ARE SUING COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY OVER THE SUSPENSION OF TWO PRO-PALESTINIAN STUDENT GROUPS. THEY CLAIM COLUMBIA VIOLATED ITS OWN RULES AND STIFLED THEIR RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT. THE LAWSUIT AIMS TO REVERSE THE SUSPENSIONS. COLUMBIA REPRESENTATIVES DECLINED TO COMMENT.