Columbia University has fired three deans for sending texts during a May forum on Jewish issues that “disturbingly touched on ancient anti-Semitic tropes.” The New York Times reported.university officials said, citing a letter sent to university officials on Monday.
The Times said Columbia still employs the deans, but the university has placed them on indefinite leave and the three will not return to their previous positions.
According to the newspaper, Crome sent two vomit emojis to his colleagues.
Columbia University President Nemat Shafik called the document “unacceptable, deeply disturbing and shows a lack of seriousness towards the concerns and experiences of members of the Jewish community,” the paper reported.
The announcement came about a month after the Washington Free Beacon, according to the Times. Published A photo showing some of the text messages sent by the deans.
The three Columbia administrators in question are former dean of undergraduate life Kristen Crome, former associate dean for student and family support Matthew Patashnick and former associate dean and chief administrative officer Susan Chan Kim, the Post reported, adding that they did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Columbia University Dean Joseph Solett was also involved in the email exchange, but Columbia University President Angela V. Olinto said Solett would remain in his position, according to The New York Times. “Dean Solett and I are committed to working together to repair our relationship, restore trust and rebuild accountability,” Olinto wrote, according to The New York Times.
According to the New York Times, some Columbia University alumni are calling the incident “Textgate.”
More from the paper:
On May 31, in the aftermath of student protests and congressional hearings convened to address anti-Semitism on campuses, Columbia University held alumni weekend panel discussion The panel discussion was titled, “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future.” Speakers on the panel included Brian Cohen, executive director of the Jewish student organization Columbia/Bernard Hillel; David ScissorHe is a former dean of the law faculty and chair of the university’s anti-Semitism task force.
The three administrators and Dr. Solett were in the audience, but someone sitting behind Chan Kim filmed the text messages she was exchanging with a colleague. The images were shared by the conservative website Washington Free Beacon, which then published them. Published an article.
According to the Times, Patashnick texted one of the panelists saying he was “taking full advantage of this opportunity,” which he said showed “tremendous fundraising potential.”
The paper said Crom’s writing:Sounding the alarm“This is an essay that campus rabbi Yona Hayne penned for Columbia University’s student newspaper on Oct. 24,” Hayne wrote, saying campus groups that stated their “full solidarity with the Palestinian resistance” following the deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel represented a “community normalization of Hamas,” The New York Times reported, adding that Hayne called it “an irreversible moment at Columbia.”
According to the newspaper, Crome sent two vomit emojis to his colleagues.
During the panel, Chan Kim exchanged text messages with Sollett, with Sollett replying “LMAO” (that’s “laughed so hard”) to what The New York Times called Chan Kim’s “sarcastic remarks” about Cohen.
The three managers were placed on administrative leave in late June pending an investigation by the university, the newspaper said.
Following the firing of the three deans, Solett wrote a letter to the Columbia community acknowledging that “some statements may seem to downplay the impact that the global rise in anti-Semitism has had on Columbia’s campus” and said he was “committed to holding the University community to higher professional standards and rebuilding trust,” according to the Times.
The paper noted that more than 1,000 alumni and local residents, including hedge fund investor Dan Loeb, have signed a petition calling for Sollett’s removal from his position, and that his continued presence in his position is likely to anger some alumni and local residents.
The Times also reported that many alumni were upset by the weak apology Sollett offered in June, noting that when the text messages came to light, Sollett sent an email saying, “I have already spoken with all involved and, as leaders, we understand that higher standards are expected of us.” But Sollett also called the text message photos an “invasion of privacy,” the paper added. About a week later, Sollett sent a second email saying, “I deeply regret my role in these text message exchanges,” the Times added.
Additionally, Columbia University announced Monday that undergraduate students, faculty and staff will undergo mandatory anti-discrimination training this fall, which will also focus on anti-Semitism, The Post reported.
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