Today, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) sent a letter to Columbia University administrators requesting disciplinary records for numerous antisemitic incidents, including the January 21 disruption of a History of Israel class, at which flyers inciting the murder of Jews were distributed.
In the letter, Chairman Walberg writes:“For more than a year, [Columbia] leaders have made public and private promises to Jewish students, faculty and Members of Congress that the university would take the steps necessary to combat the rampant antisemitism on Columbia’s campus. Yet…Columbia has failed to uphold its commitments, both because the disciplinary process has failed and because the campus administration has refused to enforce its pre-existing rules. Columbia’s continued failure to address the pervasive antisemitism that persists on campus is untenable, particularly given that the university receives billions in federal funding.”
The letter continues:“In an April 17, 2024, [Committee] hearing, then-President Minouche Shafik, Mr. Greenwald, and Ms. Shipman offered strong assurances that antisemitism would not be tolerated at Columbia. Each of these people specifically touted a set of recently strengthened time, place, and manner rules dubbed the Interim University Policy for Safe Demonstrations as evidence of the university’s supposed newfound commitment.”
The letter concludes: “Unfortunately, Columbia’s Trustees, interim president, and deans have not met their promises or commitments. Their negligence has created a hostile environment for members of Columbia’s Jewish communities and resulted in severe disruptions to the university’s learning environment.”
