Columbia University announced Thursday that students who occupied campus buildings last spring during anti-Israel protests will face various punishments, including expulsion and suspension.
The announcement came as Ivy League facilities found themselves caught up in a controversy over the arrest of students and the Trump administration's withdrawal of more than $400 million in federal grants.
The punishments, including “multi-year suspension, temporary degree revocation and expulsion related to the occupation of Hamilton Hall last spring,” were issued by the Columbia University Judicial Committee.
Trump will cut Colombia's more than $400 million grants over anti-Semitism concerns.
Student protesters will be housed on April 30, 2024 near the entrance to Hamilton Hall on Columbia University's campus in New York. (AP photo/Mary Altafer, Pool)
“The UJB decision regarding other events held last spring was aware of the disciplinary action previously imposed,” the school said in a statement. “The suspension of students' return will be overseen by the University Life Office in Columbia.”
The penalty will come into effect at the end of the appeal period, the school's rules manager said Thursday.
Colombia is undergoing intense scrutiny over the rise in anti-Semitism on campus following Hamas' attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
In February, the House Committee on Education and Workforce sent a letter to Colombia's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, listing anti-Semitism incidents that have allegedly happened on campus since the fall 2024 semester.
NYPD makes multiple arrests at Bernard University after anti-Israel agitator takes over the library
Student protesters will avoid the camp on the Columbia University campus on April 29, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Eremiya)
The list included the takeover of Hamilton Hall, harassment of Jewish students and the confusion of Israel's history class.
In August 2024, three Columbia University deans resigned from the exchange of textbooks, “explaining an unsettling touch on the ancient anti-Semitic ratios.”
Susan Chang Kim, Associate Dean and Chief Administrative Officer. Matthew Patashnick, Associate Dean of Student and Family Support. Kristan Chrom, the undergraduate dean, has all resigned.
Members of the anti-Israel mob broke into Hamilton Hall at Columbia University on April 30, 2024. On Thursday, the school announced that students who took part in the occupation of the building would be punished. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
That same month, the president of Columbia University's Minush Shafiq resigned after months of criticism over the handling of protests on campus.
Armstrong issued a letter Friday in response to the Trump administration cutting federal grants to schools.
The anti-Israel agitator performed the camp on the Columbia University campus. (Getty Images)
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“When I accepted the role of interim president in August 2024, I knew that Columbia needed a reset from the previous year and that it would require a disruption in campus campus and protests,” Armstrong wrote. “The university also had to acknowledge and repair the damages to Jewish students who were targeted, harassed and felt unwelcome last spring on campus.”
