Columbia University continues to butt heads with its student body, only this time the battleground has shifted from campus to courtroom. Palestinian students have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, claiming that the administration and faculty have been discriminating against them since the outbreak of the conflict in October. Students from both Jewish and Palestinian communities have accused the institution of failing to protect their rights amidst the escalating Israeli-Palestinian tension; a group of Jewish students sued Columbia back in February for failing to defend them against anti-semitic speech, and another filed a suit in March for shutting down their anti-war Jewish protest.
On April 18, when over 100 protesters were arrested at Columbia’s Gaza solidarity encampment, Palestine Legal began to prepare a lawsuit on behalf of the Palestinian students. The students allege that the university has neglected their safety and well-being, particularly after being targeted with racist and Islamophobic harassment. “The treatment of Palestinian students at Columbia has reached a critical point,” said Radhika Sainath, a senior staff attorney for Palestine Legal. “This isn’t happening in a vacuum. It is happening because of the neoliberal university — where you have powerful pro-Israel actors calling on the university to take action against Palestinian students and their supporters.”
In response to the Palestinian students’ claims, Jewish students have also voiced their grievances, asserting that the university has allowed antisemitic acts to escalate. One lawsuit claims that Jewish students have faced “round-the-clock harassment” including physical and verbal abuse. “Columbia has allowed a small group of fringe demonstrators to target Jewish students and faculty with harassment, hate speech and violence for the sole reason that they are (or appear to be) Jewish,” the complaint alleges.
As the conflict overseas mirrors itself in academic settings, the tension at Columbia reflects a microcosm of a larger, international issue. Both groups of students report feeling unsafe because of their identities and beliefs, with events escalating to the extent that the university offered virtual learning options for the safety and comfort of its students.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has taken note, launching investigations into the allegations of discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. “These allegations are severe and warrant thorough investigation to ensure that all students feel safe and respected,” stated a department spokesperson.
Columbia University now faces the complex challenge of navigating these deeply entrenched issues, balancing the rights and safety of its diverse student body while maintaining an environment conducive to education and free speech.
