3 weeks ago
Palestinian students and staff sue Columbia University, alleging discrimination
A group of Palestinian students and university workers say they were treated unfairly.
They attend or work at Columbia University in New York City.
They say the school did not keep them safe from mean treatment.
They also say it punished them without being fair.
So they decided to take the school to court.
All of this started after a war broke out far away in Gaza.
Many students held protests at their schools to ask for changes.
Some Columbia students were suspended for taking part in a protest.
The school says it has not been unfair to anyone.
Now a judge will decide what really happened.
A group of current and former Palestinian students and staff filed a lawsuit against Columbia University alleging discriminatory treatment since late 2023.
The lawsuit claims Columbia failed to protect its Palestinian members from harassment and subjected them to 'unfair and biased disciplinary hearings.'
Columbia, which has denied being discriminatory and condemned hate, declined to comment on the pending litigation and did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The case follows pro-Palestinian protests sparked by Israel's assault on Gaza after the October 2023 Hamas attack, including the May 2025 suspension of more than 65 students.
Columbia paid over $200 million to the U.S. government in July of last year to restore most of its federal funding, which had been cut over accusations that it tolerated antisemitism.
- Who
- A group of current and former Palestinian students and staff (plaintiffs) and Columbia University (defendant)
- What
- A lawsuit alleging Columbia discriminated against its Palestinian community, failed to protect members from harassment, and ran unfair and biased disciplinary hearings
- Where
- New York, involving Columbia University and a court filing in the state
- When
- Filing reported Aug 11; allegations cover conduct since late 2023
- Why
- Plaintiffs say Columbia failed to protect Palestinian members from harassment and targeted them, amid campus protests over the Gaza war and a federal funding dispute
Palestinian plaintiffs, protesters and free speech advocates
Columbia University and the U.S. administration
Treatment of the Palestinian community
Palestinian plaintiffs, protesters and free speech advocates
Columbia failed to protect Palestinian students and staff from harassment and targeted them through unfair and biased disciplinary hearings.
Columbia University and the U.S. administration
Columbia denies being discriminatory, has condemned hate, and declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Antisemitism vs. political advocacy
Palestinian plaintiffs, protesters and free speech advocates
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say opposing Israel's assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories is not antisemitic and that Palestinian-rights advocacy should not be conflated with extremism.
Columbia University and the U.S. administration
The Trump administration accused Columbia of tolerating antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests and cut its federal funding, prompting the university to negotiate a settlement.
Campus protest crackdown
Palestinian plaintiffs, protesters and free speech advocates
Free speech groups condemned Columbia's crackdown, in which students faced arrests, suspensions, expulsions and degree revocations.
Columbia University and the U.S. administration
Columbia suspended more than 65 students for their role in shutting down the university's main library during a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
Key facts
- Plaintiffs
- Current and former Palestinian students and staff at Columbia University
- Defendant
- Columbia University
- Core allegation
- Discriminatory treatment, failure to protect from harassment, and unfair/biased disciplinary hearings since late 2023
- Legal venue
- Court filing in New York
- Prior suspensions
- More than 65 students suspended in May 2025 for a pro-Palestinian library shutdown demonstration
- Federal funding settlement
- Over $200 million paid to the U.S. government to resolve federal probes and restore most funding
- University response
- Denied being discriminatory and condemned hate; declined to comment on pending litigation
- Context
- Protests followed Israel's assault on Gaza after the deadly Hamas attack in October 2023
Sources
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