Campus Antisemitism
Darryll Pines, president of the public university, stated that the image was “abhorrent and unacceptable.”
“It’s a great victory for the First Amendment right to free speech, including the right to draw attention to bigotry and hateful speech,” Paul Eckles, of the Brandeis Center, told JNS. “We commend our client for having the courage to speak out.”
A spokesman for the Ivy told JNS that the school believes being required “to create lists of Jewish faculty and staff, and to provide personal contact information, raises serious privacy and First Amendment concerns.”
After an investigation, the university said that a mob blocking Jewish students, accusing them of being “baby killers,” didn’t violate the student code of conduct.
If Ismael Jimenez were suspended, it would be “an encouraging sign of the much-needed systemic change for the district,” Mika Hackner, of the North American Values Institute, told JNS.
The public school referred JNS to its law dean, who interpreted the lawsuit settlement differently than does the other party.
Shira Goodman, of the Anti-Defamation League, told JNS that the votes are non-binding to the public universities but “risk fueling division on campus.”
“The committee is troubled by recent reports and allegations raising questions about Columbia University’s willingness to uphold its commitments to protect Jewish students, faculty and staff,” the House Committee on Energy and Commerce chair told the university.
Stacy Skankey, of the Goldwater Institute, said that “taxpayers have a right to know what is being taught and how much a university is paying for it.”
“If the government wants credit for resolving discrimination complaints, it has to also do the hard part, which is enforcement,” Mark Goldfeder, of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, told JNS.
“We don’t deny the craziness,” Columbia’s Hillel director told JNS. “It exists and it’s real and it’s an ongoing challenge.”
“To impose such a requirement selectively on Jewish and pro-Israel students raises serious concerns about unequal treatment and viewpoint discrimination,” Students Supporting Israel stated.
