Fearful Columbia students who felt ‘intimidated’ by anti-Israel protests to get ‘safety escorts’ as part of lawsuit settlement
Petrified Columbia University students who have felt “harassed and intimidated” by anti-Israel protests which have gripped their college and disrupted learning for months will be provided safety escorts on campus.
The move is part of a settlement in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, where the Ivy League school will now offer “walking escorts” across campus and appoint a “safe passage liaison” to address any students concerns over protests.
Additionally, accommodations will be made for students who were displaced by the protests and couldn’t finish exams or assignments.
It resolves a proposed class action filed by a female Jewish student referred to as C.S. who claimed making students take online classes in response to protests showed how “dangerous” campus had become.
“This settlement sets the bar for how Columbia must protect its students,” Jay Edelson, a lawyer for C.S., said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The next step for the Columbia community is just as important: We’re looking toward a return to a real debate on campus.”
University spokesperson Samantha Slater told the Post Columbia is “pleased” with the outcome.
“[We] remain committed to our number one priority, the safety of our campus so that all of our students can successfully pursue their education and meet their academic goals,” she added.
In April, the student filed a lawsuit saying her education had been disrupted by a hostile environment on campus when anti-Israel protesters put up encampments on Columbia’s lawns.
According to the filing against university trustees, Jewish students have been physically attacked and targeted by pro-Hamas hate speech.
The suit also accuses protestors of inciting violence against Jewish students and pro-Israel counter-protestors while on campus.
Columbia president Minouche Shafik acknowledged in a statement at the time that many Jewish students and other students have found the atmosphere “intolerable.”
“Many have left campus, and that is a tragedy. To those students and their families, I want to say to you clearly: You are a valued part of the Columbia community,” Shafik said in that statement.
“This is your campus too. We are committed to making Columbia safe for everyone, and to ensuring that you feel welcome and valued.”
The original encampment at Columbia was raided and disassembled by the NYPD on April 30, and over 200 protesters were arrested. Since then new protests have been staged, according to multiple local reports, even though most of the university is shut down as it is on break for summer.
Columbia has three active Title VI investigations open with the Office for Civil Rights since the encampment first went up in April.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act says universities and K-12 schools have a responsibility to provide all students with an environment free from discrimination.
