Palestinian students and faculty sue Columbia University, claiming discrimination

Palestinian students and faculty at Columbia University have filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination based on their Palestinian identity. The suit, filed in a New York State court, accuses the university of failing to protect Palestinians on campus and actively encouraging harassment against them. The plaintiffs include five individuals, students and faculty, who claim the campus environment has negatively impacted their academic performance, personal well-being, and mental health. The legal action comes amid the broader fallout from the anti-Israel protest movement that swept through Columbia following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which initiated the war in Gaza. Since then, the university has faced multiple lawsuits from both pro- and anti-Israel student groups. It has also drawn sustained criticism from Jewish and pro-Israel leaders over its handling of pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel demonstrations. The plaintiffs argue that Columbia’s measures to address these protests have been biased against Palestinians. According to the lawsuit, Palestinian students have been physically accosted on campus, subjected to ethnic slurs, and treated discriminatorily by the university. One specific incident cited involves protesters being attacked with a foul-smelling chemical substance, resulting in severe physical injuries. This claim echoes previous allegations that were later debunked by an investigation finding the substance to be a non-toxic novelty item known as “fart spray.” Despite this, the lawsuit maintains that the university failed to take meaningful action to prevent such incidents. The plaintiffs further allege that they were doxxed, publicly identified, by off-campus groups, leading to distress. They accuse Columbia of not responding adequately to these threats. The lawsuit argues that the university’s efforts to regulate protests were driven by discrimination against Palestinians. For instance, it states that Columbia employed private investigators to examine an event supporting terrorism and suspended students involved, suggesting disparate treatment based on nationality, race, and shared ancestry. The complaint also targets Columbia’s Task Force on Antisemitism, which the plaintiffs describe as “asymmetric and discriminatory.” While the task force, composed of university faculty, identified widespread discrimination against Jews in a 2024 report, the lawsuit contends that no similar mechanisms exist to safeguard Palestinian students. Pro-Palestinian activists have frequently clashed with pro-Israel Jewish students, often blocking each other during demonstrations. The lawsuit criticizes the university’s initial response to the October 7 attack. At the time, then-president Minouche Shafik issued a statement calling the attack “horrific” and expressing sympathy for those affected. However, the plaintiffs argue that this statement overlooked the experiences of Palestinian community members, leaving them feeling abandoned and unsupported. Fliers circulating on campus that claimed “Hamas was raping Israeli girls” are described in the lawsuit as creating a hostile environment for Palestinian students. Additionally, the plaintiffs fault the university for using police to remove protesters who had occupied a campus building and for cooperating with federal investigations into antisemitism. These actions, according to the lawsuit, reflect a pattern of bias against Palestinians. The legal claim seeks redress under New York City human rights law and requests unspecified damages as compensation.