Columbia University suspended or expelled a number of students on Thursday for seizing a campus building during last year’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations, the Associated Press reported. The institution also withdrew some students’ diplomas from those who graduated earlier but joined the protests.
University Defends Disciplinary Measures
In a university-wide email, Columbia University announced that a judicial board had ruled disciplinary action against students who had taken over Hamilton Hall in 2024 to protest the Gaza war. The university based the magnitude of punishments on an “evaluation of the severity of behavior.”
On April 30, 2024, a number of students occupied Hamilton Hall after establishing tent encampments on campus in protest. On the following day, New York Police stormed the university, arresting scores of students who were later given disciplinary hearings.
Legal and Political Fallout
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office released a statement that it would not prosecute 31 of the 46 students originally arrested on charges of trespassing. But the other students still have legal ramifications besides their suspensions, expulsions, or withdrawn degrees.
Crackdown on Student Activism
The crackdown on student activism arrives as federal authorities move against those who allegedly foster antisemitic attitudes towards Israel. Mahmoud Khalil, a student at Columbia University, was the first of a number of student activists arrested, according to President Donald Trump.
Loss of Federal Funding and Political Backlash
Columbia University has also lost in excess of $400 million in federal funding because of its response to the protests and alleged failure to manage antisemitic activity on campus.
House Republicans have criticized the university’s response, seeking access to the disciplinary records of students who participated in the protests. Mahmoud Khalil and seven other students have countered by filing a lawsuit to prevent a Congressional committee from gaining access to these records.
While the legal fights ensue, the disciplinary measures and government crackdown continue raising questions regarding free speech, student activism, and the greater implications for academic institutions in the US.
