Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, demanded on Monday that Columbia University turn over text messages that administrators at the Ivy League school in New York City sent “downplaying antisemitism.”
“As part of Columbia University’s recent reunion weekend, members of the university’s Jewish community discussed antisemitism in a panel on Jewish life on campus, during which university administrators reportedly exchanged disparaging text messages downplaying antisemitism,” Foxx’s office stated.
The Washington Free Beacon was the first to report on the text messages.
Foxx asked for the texts by June 26.
“I was appalled, but sadly not surprised, to learn Columbia administrators exchanged disparaging text messages during a panel that discussed antisemitism at the university,” she stated. “Dean [of Columbia College] Josef Sorrett’s weak private ‘apology’ to the college’s Board of Visitors shows that the school doesn’t get it.”
“Columbia’s Jewish community deserves better than this,” Foxx added.
When one of the panelists broke down crying over her daughter’s experiences with antisemitism at Columbia this year, Susan Chang-Kim, vice dean and chief administrative officer of Columbia College, shared “nauseous” and “vomiting” emojis with fellow administrators, the Free Beacon reported.