Columbia prof., NYU students persecuted over pro-Palestine activism
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The Center for Constitutional Rights has condemned the end of a prominent law professor's career at Columbia as an “egregious attack on both academic freedom and Palestinian rights advocacy.”
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A pro-Palestine demonstration at Columbia University in New York, US, on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. (AP)
Katherine Franke, a law professor and outspoken supporter of pro-Palestine students, has parted ways with Columbia University following an investigation into comments she made about Israeli students. This marks the latest consequence of activism surrounding Gaza on a major university campus amid the ongoing Israeli genocide.
Franke, a tenured professor, had supported pro-Palestine students amid protests at the university last year. She was one of several faculty members investigated for alleged antisemitism.
Franke described her departure as “a termination dressed up in more palatable terms,” stating in a Friday statement that she agreed to leave due to Columbia becoming a “toxic and hostile environment.” Columbia University spokesperson Samantha Slater confirmed that a complaint had been filed accusing Franke of discriminatory harassment in violation of university policies, leading to an investigation.
The Center for Constitutional Rights, a nonprofit legal group, condemned the end of Franke's career at Columbia as an “egregious attack on both academic freedom and Palestinian rights advocacy.”
The investigation stemmed from Franke’s comments on the media platform Democracy Now! following an incident in January 2024, where a foul substance was released on pro-Palestinian students during a rally calling on the university to divest from "Israel". One of the suspended students involved in the incident was identified as a former member of the Israeli occupation forces.
In her Democracy Now! interview, Franke expressed concern about Israeli students coming to Columbia “right out of their military service” due to reports of harassment of Palestinians and other students on campus. Two Columbia colleagues filed a complaint, claiming her remarks constituted harassment against Israeli students. An outside law firm hired by the university found in November that Franke’s comments violated Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action policies. Franke appealed this finding.
The investigation also concluded that Franke violated policy by disclosing the name of one of her complainants and reposting a social media post that made disparaging remarks about him.
In an April congressional hearing, Columbia's then-president, Minouche Shafik, was asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik about disciplinary actions taken against Franke. Stefanik misquoted Franke, claiming she said “all Israeli students who served in the I.D.F. are dangerous and shouldn’t be on campus.” Shafik responded that those comments were “completely unacceptable and discriminatory,” which drew criticism from faculty for being inappropriate and damaging to her relationship with them.
Shafik resigned a few months later, becoming the third university president to step down after testifying before the congressional committee. In her statement, Franke called Shafik’s remarks “defamatory", stating that Shafik knew at the time that Stefanik's summary of her comments was “grossly inaccurate and misleading.” She also said the testimony led to death threats and harassment against her, including colleagues secretly recording her and students provoking her in class to record discussions for online complaints.
Franke concluded that Columbia had abandoned its commitment to fostering critical debate and research, instead “demonstrating a willingness to collaborate with the very enemies of our academic mission.”
This is happening as global investigations into Israeli soldiers have been mounting following incriminating footage published documenting their involvement in war crimes in Gaza. Pro-Palestine organizations have lately filed 50 complaints in local courts around the world against Israeli reserve soldiers for committing crimes in Gaza.
Recently, a Brazilian court directed police to investigate an Israeli soldier accused of committing war crimes in Gaza. The directive follows a complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a human rights organization "devoted to breaking the cycle of Israeli impunity."
Read next: IOF hide soldier identities fearing legal consequences abroad
NYU suspends 11 students for one year over Gaza genocide protests
In a related context, more than a dozen NYU students and faculty distributed flyers and hung banners throughout the Bobst Library, while 13 individuals staged a sit-in on the library's administrative floor. The protesters were demanding a meeting with university administrators, who had previously promised to reveal details of the university's endowment, including investments in weapons manufacturers and companies linked to "Israel" and its occupation of Palestine, during the spring Gaza solidarity encampment movement.
The action was organized, on December 11, by Shut It Down NYU, a student group that opposes what it sees as the university’s connections to imperialism. Despite the students' demands being ignored, 11 of them were suspended for one year for their participation in what the university called "coordinated and collective disruptive action"—in non-violent protest at the library. Several other students are currently facing disciplinary action that could lead to similar penalties.
This move comes after widespread public criticism of NYU's past arrests and the university declaring some of its own faculty as Persona Non-Grata (PNG). Once again, the administration is setting a controversial precedent by suspending students who are protesting against an ongoing genocide.
