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Columbia University has entered an agreement with Students in Jewish settlement to take additional steps to make its students feel safe on campus.
The anonymous student alleged harassment and intimidation "from an extreme element within the on-campus Gaza war protests had forced Jewish (and other) students off Columbia's campus," the student's legal team said.
The lawsuit, filed on April 29, said Columbia shifted to "hybrid" learning, meaning Jewish students who were unsafe on campus stayed home "while extreme demonstrators were allowed the full use of university grounds," the legal team said.
"We are pleased we’ve been able to come to a resolution and remain committed to our number one priority: the safety of our campus so that all of our students can successfully pursue their education and meet their academic goals," the university said in a statement.
Under the agreement, Columbia must create a new point of contact — a Safe Passage Liaison – for students worried about their safety. The liaison will handle student safety concerns and coordinate any student requests for escorts through an existing escort program, which must remain available 24/7 through at least Dec. 31, according to the agreement.
The settlement also makes academic accommodations for students who can not access campus to complete assignments or exams, among other provisions.
A legal group representing anti-Israel students has urged the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights office to investigate Columbia’s compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for how they have been treated.
This all comes as anti-Israeli demonstrations have escalated at U.S. universities in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and Israel's retaliatory attacks on Gaza, with many colleges, including Columbia University, seeing protests paired with antisemitic incidents that have left many Jewish students feeling unsafe.
