President of Columbia University, Nemat Shafik, assured Congress last week that her administration was committed to taking serious action against anti-Semitism on campus, including suspending students and disciplining some faculty members.
Dr. Shafik, who testified for nearly four hours before the Republican-led House Education and Workforce Committee, told lawmakers that the university, which has about 5,000 Jewish students, was initially overwhelmed by the protests. riot on campus following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7. However, she testified, school leaders have since agreed that some disciplinary measures may be warranted. protection, specifically against students and faculty who used anti-Semitic language and certain controversial phrases, such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Dr. Shafik said at that time 15 students were suspended. Many students said they showed support for more 30,000 Gazans health officials there say have died during the Israeli bombardment.
When asked whether calls for genocide violate Columbia’s code of conduct, Dr. Shafik replied: “Yes, it does.” Her answer differed sharply from the terse, lawyerly responses to the same question from the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and MIT at their hearings in December. last. The leaders of Harvard and Penn resigned following backlash over their testimony.
Dr. Shafik also promised lawmakers that there would be “consequences” for employees who “make comments that cross the line regarding anti-Semitism.” She revealed disciplinary measures were underway against several lecturers, saying five had been removed from class or fired in recent months for comments stemming from the war. A visiting professor, she added, would “never work at Columbia again.”
Dr. Shafik, who took her position last July, said that Columbia is committed to free speech but that school officials “cannot and should not tolerate abuse of this privilege” when regulating That puts others in danger.
“I promise you, from the messages that I’m hearing from students, they are getting the message that there are consequences for violating our policies,” Dr. Shafik told lawmakers. ”.
However, her testimony drew criticism from some students and faculty, who said it violated both free speech and academic freedom.
