Lawsuit says Columbia failed to keep Jewish students safe

(NewsNation) — An anonymous student has brought a lawsuit against Columbia University, saying the school has failed to provide a safe learning environment as a pro-Palestine protest has formed on the campus.

The encampment at Columbia kicked off a wave of protests at college campuses across the country. While many have been peaceful, some protests, including those at Columbia, have led to arrests as universities try to handle the disruption.

The lawsuit against the university’s trustees recognizes the right to protest and that colleges have long been places where people debate opposing views, including those where the topics discussed may cause people to feel uncomfortable.

The plaintiff alleges that while many of the protesters at Columbia are peaceful, a subset are “continuing to commit acts of violence, they are intimidating and harassing Jewish students and faculty members, they are inciting demonstrators to engage in hate speech and also commit acts of violence, which has been taking place, and they have even called for terrorist attacks against the United States and the State of Israel.”

According to the filing, Jewish students have been physically attacked and targeted by pro-Hamas hate speech. The lawsuit accuses those protesters of inciting violence against Jewish students and pro-Israel counter-protesters on campus.

Jay Edelson, one of the attorneys in the lawsuit, will speak exclusively to Leland Vittert on “On Balance” airing 4/29 at 7/6c.

“Before a couple weeks ago, Columbia would tell anyone who would listen that it offered a safe space to its students to learn, debate, and even protest. But now Jewish students are being pushed off campus by open threats and harassment from extremists within the protest movement, whose incitements are becoming increasingly violent,” Edelson said in a statement to NewsNation. “Rather than protect its students, Columbia has been complicit, offering an “internet-optional” university that only the students it can’t protect have to use. We’re fighting for safe passage for all Columbia students on the campus that they all have a right to. “

Lawyers argue that backing down on a demand for the encampment to be cleared and continuing to negotiate with protesters while moving to a hybrid learning model is unfair and creates a disparate experience between Jewish and non-Jewish students.

The lawsuit is being brought on behalf of the unnamed student and all other Columbia students who have switched to online learning as a result of the protests. The lawsuit demands that Columbia abide by policies regarding safety and return to in-person learning as well as asking for compensatory and punitive damages.

Read the full lawsuit below: