Palestinian students and staff sue Columbia University alleging discrimination
A view of the main campus of Columbia University, in New York City, New York, on Apr 12, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs)
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
WASHINGTON: A group of current and former Palestinian students and staff have sued Columbia University, alleging discriminatory treatment by the school against its Palestinian community since late 2023, according to a court filing in New York.
The lawsuit said the university failed to protect its Palestinian members from harassment and targeted them through what it cast as “unfair and biased disciplinary hearings”.
Columbia has previously denied being discriminatory and has condemned hate. Local media reported that it declined to comment on pending litigation. It did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Protests took place at Columbia and around the US after the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza following a deadly Palestinian Hamas attack in October 2023.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Protesters demanded an end to US support for its ally and called for the divestment of funds by universities from companies supporting Israel.
In May 2025, Columbia suspended more than 65 students for their role in shutting down the university’s main library in a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
That demonstration came as the university was negotiating with President Donald Trump’s administration, which had cut its federal funding after accusing the university of tolerating antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests.
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say opposing Israel’s assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories is not antisemitic and advocacy for Palestinian rights should not be conflated with supporting extremism.
Columbia agreed to pay over US$200 million to the US government to resolve federal probes and restore most of the federal funding in July last year.
Free speech groups condemned Columbia’s protest crackdown in which students faced arrests, suspensions, expulsions and degree revocations.
Source: Reuters/ec
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
About The Author
