Saratoga, N.Y., – Today, House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) sent a letter to Columbia University Acting President Claire Shipman exposing the university for failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment, requesting clarification on a variety of concerning text and emails sent by Acting President Shipman, and addressing Columbia’s potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
In the letter, Stefanik and Walberg raised grave concerns about several of Shipman's emails and text messages discovered in Columbia’s disclosures that clearly attempt to diminish and trivialize the pervasive culture of antisemitism on Columbia’s campus, raising questions about Columbia's compliance with Title VI.
The lawmakers wrote, "The Committee on Education and Workforce (Committee) is continuing to investigate antisemitism at Columbia University (Columbia), including whether there was or is a hostile environment against Jewish students on Columbia’s campus and whether the university is fulfilling its obligation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) to end any harassment, eliminate any hostile environment and its effects, and prevent any harassment from recurring.”
The lawmakers said, "Throughout the Committee’s investigation, Columbia has continued to be plagued by antisemitic harassment.The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has launched three separate investigations into antisemitic discrimination on campus. In May, the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education found that Columbia had acted with deliberate indifference toward the severe and pervasive harassment faced by Jewish students at the university.Columbia officials have also repeatedly made shameful statements about the plight of Jewish students on campus, raising questions about their willingness or ability to comply with Title VI.”
The lawmakers wrote, "As antisemitism continues to rise across the United States, it is critical that our institutions of higher education have leaders who firmly understand and carry out their obligation to protect Jewish students. The Committee is therefore seeking clarity regarding several messages you sent that appear to downplay and even mock the pervasive culture of antisemitism on Columbia’s campus. Obtaining clarity on these statements will aid the Committee in considering whether potential legislative changes, including legislation that specifically creates further accountability for campus leaders, are needed.”
The lawmakers added, "On October 30, 2023, you wrote to then-president Minouche Shafik and stated, “[P]eople are really frustrated and scared about antisemitism on our campus and they feel somehow betrayed by it. Which is not necessarily a rational feeling but it’s deep and it is quite threatening.”Your description—that people feel “somehow” betrayed and that this is “not necessarily a rational feeling,” but that it is “threatening”—is perplexing, considering the violence and harassment against Jewish and Israeli students already occurring on Columbia’s campus at the time.”
The lawmakers continued, "On January 17, 2024, you said, “We need to get somebody from the middle east [sic] or who is Arab on our board. Quickly I think. Somehow.”Were Columbia to act on this suggestion and appoint someone to the board specifically because of their national origin, it would implicate Title VI concerns. The Committee’s request for clarification will inform its understanding of Columbia’s compliance with Title VI and current approach towards discrimination in appointments. In addition, this statement raises troubling questions regarding Columbia’s priorities just months after the October 7th attack, which was the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.”
The lawmakers said, "In another communication on December 28, 2023, you stated: “This piece was pretty amazing given the moment. Headline terrific… And most critically I think it inoculates us for a while from the capital [sic] hill nonsense and threat.” Your reference to “capital [sic] hill nonsense” is disturbing given Congress’s role in conducting oversight to ensure universities are fulfilling their obligations to protect Jewish students. Congress’s efforts to ensure the safety and security of Jewish students—who make up almost a quarter of your campus population—is not “capital [sic] hill nonsense.”
The lawmakers continued, “In the same December communication, you stated, “I do think we should think about . . . . how to do some things with Rashid [Khalidi]. Events. That won’t be popular in some groups but he is a respected academic.”We agree. Columbia further promoting Rashid Khalidi, an individual who has consistently supported and excused terrorist violence—and served as spokesman for a designated terrorist group—would likely not have been “popular” with most Jewish students, who felt and continue to feel fear and hostility on campus after the October 7th attack."
The lawmakers added, “Finally, in multiple communications, you expressed distrust and dislike for Shoshana Shendelman, a Jewish member of Columbia’s Board of Trustees and one of its most outspoken members against the bullying, harassment, and intimidation of Jewish students. In a communication on January 25, 2024, you said of Shendelman, “I just don’t think she should be on the board.”In another communication on April 22, 2024, Wanda Greene, vice-chair of the Columbia University Board of Trustees, asked you—referring to Shendelman—“do you believe that she is a mole?” She added, “A fox in the henhouse?” You agreed, stating, “I do.” Greene added, “I am tired of her.” You agreed, “so, so tired.”These exchanges raise the question of why you appeared to be in favor of removing one of the board’s most outspoken Jewish advocates at a time when Columbia students were facing a shocking level of fear and hostility.”
The lawmakers concluded, "Congress’s oversight powers are derived from the U.S. Constitution and have been repeatedly affirmed by the United States Supreme Court. Under House Rule X, the Committee’s legislative and oversight jurisdiction is broad, extending to “education . . . generally” and “laws, programs, and Government activities relating to domestic educational programs and institutions and programs of student assistance within the jurisdiction of other committees.”This includes enforcement of Title VI and other antidiscrimination laws by the Department of Education. Further, as set forth in House Rule X, the Committee “shall review and study on a continuing basis the application, administration, execution, and effectiveness of laws and programs addressing subjects within its jurisdiction.” The information gathered will also aid the Committee in considering whether potential legislative changes, including legislation to specifically address antisemitic discrimination, are needed.”
Read the full letter here.
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