Columbia University and Katherine Franke, the university's longtime law professor, have severed ties following an investigation stemming from her advocacy on behalf of pro-Palestinian students.
This was the latest aftermath of student and faculty activities related to the Gaza war on major university campuses.
Ms. Franke, a tenured professor known primarily for her work as founder and director of Columbia University's Center for Gender and Sexuality Law, was a champion for pro-Palestinian students when protests erupted on campus last year.
She was also one of several faculty members investigated by the university for alleged anti-Semitism after the university received complaints about comments made about Israelis on a radio show.
In a statement Friday, Franke described her expulsion as a “dismissal dressed up in more pleasant language” and said she reached an agreement with the university to leave Columbia because it had become a “toxic and hostile environment.” said.
Columbia University spokeswoman Samantha Slater said in a statement that the university is “committed to being a community that welcomes all people, and our policies prohibit discrimination and harassment.” .
She added that “a complaint has been filed alleging discriminatory harassment in violation of our company's policies.” A survey was conducted and the findings were published. ”
The Center for Constitutional Rights, a nonprofit legal advocacy group, said in a statement Friday that the end of Franke's career at Columbia University was a “terrible attack on both academic freedom and the defense of Palestinian rights.” Ta.
Franke's investigation included comments she made on the left-wing media platform Democracy Now! After an incident on the steps of Columbia University Law Library in January 2024.
A foul-smelling substance was released against pro-Palestinian students during a rally demanding the divestment of universities from Israel. One of the students who was suspended and subsequently sued the university in connection with the incident has been identified as a former member of the Israeli Defense Forces.
Now is the time to enter democracy! In an interview a few days later, Franke said she and other Columbia professors believed that an Israeli student known for harassing Palestinians and other students on campus had “finished his military service” and returned to Columbia. He said he was worried about coming.
Two colleagues at Columbia University filed a complaint against Franke, alleging that his comments amounted to harassment of Israeli members of the Colombian community. An outside law firm hired by the university to investigate the complaint found in November that the comments violated equal employment principles, and Franke said she would appeal.
Investigators also concluded that Mr. Franke violated the policy by publicly naming one of his accusers and reposting a social media post that made derogatory comments about Mr. Franke.
At a Congressional hearing in April, Dr. Minouche Shafik, then Colombia's president, was asked by New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik what disciplinary action had been taken against Franke. Stefanik misquoted Franke as saying, “All Israeli students who served in the Israel Defense Forces are dangerous and should not be on campus.”
During the hearing, Dr. Shafiq responded, “I agree that these comments are completely unacceptable and discriminatory.”
Dr. Shafiq's comments about Ms. Franke and others at the public hearing were inappropriate and resulted in a severe reprimand from the faculty, who deemed them damaging to the relationship with the faculty.
Dr. Shafiq resigned several months later, becoming the third university president to appear before a parliamentary committee and resign.
Ms. Franke said in a statement Friday that Dr. Shafik's comments at the hearing were defamatory. “President Shafik was aware at the time that Rep. Stefanik's summary of my comments was completely inaccurate and misleading,” Franke said.
She said testimony at the hearing led to death threats and other forms of harassment against her.
After Dr. Shafiq's testimony, she wrote that colleagues videotaped her without her consent and leaked the video to right-wing groups. She said students enrolled in her classes, sparked arguments, recorded them and posted them online, and then filed complaints against her.
“I have also come to believe that Columbia University has lost commitment to its unique and important mission,” Ms. Franke said in a statement.
Rather than fostering critical debate, research and learning, the university “has shown itself to be collaborating with the very enemies of its academic mission,” she said.
