Columbia University made public on Thursday that certain students involved in a campus building occupation last spring amidst anti-Israel protests would be subject to various consequences, including expulsions and suspensions.
This development occurs as the prestigious Ivy League institution is under scrutiny, following the arrest of a student and the withdrawal of over $400 million in federal grants by the Trump administration. This decision was made due to Columbia’s perceived failure to address the continued harassment faced by Jewish students.
The sanctions, which encompass “multi-year suspensions, temporary degree cancellations, and expulsions linked to the incident at Hamilton Hall last spring,” were mandated by the Columbia University Judicial Board.
Student protesters march around their encampment on the Columbia University campus April 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
The list included the taking over of Hamilton Hall, the harassment of Jewish students and disruption of an Israeli history class.Â
In August 2024, three Columbia University deans resigned over their text exchange that “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes.”
Susan Chang-Kim, vice dean and chief administrative officer; Matthew Patashnick, associate dean for student and family support; and Cristen Kromm, dean of undergraduate student life, all stepped down.
Members of an anti-Israel mob broke into Hamilton Hall at Columbia University April 30, 2024. On Thursday, the school announced that some students who participated in the occupation of the building will be punished. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
That same month, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik stepped down after months of criticism of her handling of the protests on campus, many of which devolved into clashes between anti-Israel demonstrators and police, and antisemitism on campus.Â
Armstrong issued a letter Friday in response to the Trump administration cutting federal grants to the school.
Anti-Israel agitators staged encampments on Columbia University’s campus. (Getty Images)
“When I accepted the role of Interim President in August 2024, I knew Columbia needed a reset from the previous year and the chaos of encampments and protests on our campus,” Armstrong wrote. “The University also needed to acknowledge and repair the damage to our Jewish students, who were targeted, harassed, and made to feel unsafe or unwelcome on our campus last spring.”
