New York
CNN
—
For practically 4 hours, one other Ivy League faculty president confronted a congressional grilling over antisemitism on campus.
Columbia College President Minouche Shafik tried to keep away from the firestorm of controversy that pushed out two of the three college presidents who testified on Capitol Hill in December.
Shafik, who was touring throughout that final listening to, had the benefit of time to keep away from some, although not all, of the landmines.
Listed here are three takeaways from right now’s listening to.
Shafik was higher ready for the query that tripped up the leaders of Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how and the College of Pennsylvania in December: whether or not requires the genocide of Jews violate college guidelines.
Whereas the opposite college presidents supplied lawyerly solutions that went viral, Shafik and her three Columbia colleagues all unequivocally said that such calls would violate the code of conduct at Columbia.
Nonetheless, on some extra particular points, Shafik waffled and struggled to present clear solutions, giving her critics appreciable fodder alongside the best way.
For example, the Columbia president was requested by Rep. Lisa McClain whether or not mobs shouting “from the river to the ocean” or “lengthy stay the intifada” qualify as antisemitic feedback.
At first, Shafik mentioned she finds such feedback offensive.
Pressed by McClain about whether or not these chants are antisemitic, Shafik mentioned: “I hear them as such. Some individuals don’t.”
Solely after David Schizer, the co-chair of Columbia’s process power on antisemitism, indicated it might qualify as antisemitism did Shafik agree.
An analogous scenario performed out on the subject of disciplining professors.
“On my watch, for college who make remarks that cross the road when it comes to antisemitism, there might be penalties,” Shafik mentioned throughout the listening to.
Shafik mentioned tenured professor Joseph Massad, who referred to as the October 7 assaults “superior” in a web-based piece the subsequent day, had been “spoken to” by members of his division.
Nonetheless, Shafik walked again her reply on his removing as chair of an instructional committee although she did verify he was below investigation for discriminatory remarks.
“I do condemn his assertion. I’m appalled by what he mentioned,” Shafik mentioned in response to a query from Rep. Tim Walberg. “He has been spoken to.”
In an emailed response to CNN, Massad mentioned that his chairmanship of the commitee was merely coming to the top of the one-year appointment and that he was unaware of any probe previous to right now’s listening to.
Shafik mentioned a professor who expressed assist for Hamas on social media following October 7, Mohamed Abdou, is grading his college students’ papers however will “by no means train at Columbia once more, and that might be on his everlasting document.”
And Shafik mentioned one professor, Columbia Enterprise Faculty assistant professor Shai Davidai, is below investigation for harassment.
Davidai referred to as Shafik a “coward” in a fiery speech final 12 months criticizing the college president for failing to quiet “pro-terror” voices on the faculty.
The identical professor has greater than 50 complaints in opposition to him, Shafik mentioned. Columbia College confirmed Davidai is below investigation.
Davidai mentioned to CNN that he has by no means spoken in opposition to college students by identify, solely “pro-Hamas” scholar organizations and professors.
“They’re investigating me for all the motive this listening to was held within the first place. Columbia is investigating me for my social media tweets and solely my social media tweets,” he mentioned.
Abdou didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
In fact, none of this can be a trivial matter for Columbia college students, together with those that attended the listening to, chanted outdoors the listening to and spoke out throughout a press convention beforehand.
One undergraduate scholar, Eden Yadegar, accused Columbia leaders throughout the press convention of sitting “idly by as a tsunami of antisemitism,” together with harassment, intimidation and threats of bodily violence, “flooded each facet of campus life.”
Shafik made clear throughout the listening to that Columbia officers “won’t tolerate antisemitic threats, pictures and different violations.”
Nonetheless, Shafik acknowledged that Columbia officers have “rather more work to do” as they search to steadiness defending free speech with guaranteeing all college students really feel protected.
Contributing: CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald.