Columbia University leaders to testify before Congress on campus antisemitism
The school’s leadership missed the Education and Workforce Committee’s first campus antisemitism hearing due to a scheduling conflict
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Columbia University’s president and board co-chairs are set to testify at a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing dedicated to antisemitism on the New York campus on April 17, the committee announced on Monday.
Columbia’s president was initially asked to testify at a disastrous December hearing that contributed to the resignations of the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, but was unable to do so because of a scheduling conflict. Now, the school’s leaders will have their turn in the hot seat.
“Some of the worst cases of antisemitic assaults, harassment, and vandalism on campus have occurred at Columbia University,” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), the committee chair, said in a statement. “Due to the severe and pervasive nature of these cases, and the Columbia administration’s failure to enforce its own policies to protect Jewish students, the Committee must hear from Columbia’s leadership in person to learn how the school is addressing antisemitism on its campus.”
Columbia’s president, Nemat Shafik, and Board of Trustees co-chairs Claire Shipman and David Greenwald will be testifying at the hearing. The committee requested last month that Columbia provide documents to the committee on its handling of campus antisemitism.
“Columbia is committed to combating antisemitism and we welcome the opportunity to discuss our work to protect and support Jewish students and keep our community safe,” a university spokesperson said in a statement to JI.