Pro-Palestinian Columbia students have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the university, alleging discrimination and mistreatment in response to their protests over the Gaza conflict and against the university’s policies toward Palestinian students.
The complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), claims that Columbia has failed to protect Palestinian students from harassment and abuse, and has retaliated against them for their activism.
The lawsuit alleges that Columbia has mishandled the protests, calling in the NYPD to arrest more than 100 students. The group also claims that the school threatened to bring in the National Guard, which Columbia officials have previously denied.
A student named Maryam Alwan, who is quoted in the complaint, said, “As a Palestinian student, I’ve been harassed, doxed, shouted down, and discriminated against by fellow students and professors — simply because of my identity and my commitment to advocating for my own rights and freedoms.”
“I’m horrified at the way Columbia has utterly failed to protect me from racism and abuse, but beyond that, the university has also played a role in this repression by having me arrested and suspended for peacefully protesting Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” Alwan added.
The complaint argues that students should not be under the fear of police or military threat and the school has “actively contributed to pervasive racism and discrimination against Palestinian students on campus, causing both mental and physical harm.”
The lawsuit comes hours before the school’s deadline for protesters to clear their encampment or more activists will be arrested. The original deadline was Tuesday at midnight, but officials extended it after the protesters agreed to terms such as ensuring only those affiliated with the university were at the protest.
