Outrage as Columbia president Minouche Shafik cancels all in-person classes until the end of the semester after losing grip of anti-Israel mob
Parents of Columbia students are being encouraged to demand refunds after the college canceled all in-person classes as it struggles to gain traction in the pro-Palestinian protests.
Embattled President Minouche Shafik announced that remote learning for the university’s 37,000 students will continue until the end of the spring semester, amid ongoing tensions.
Unrest at the university intensified Monday during the major Jewish holiday of Passover, as demonstrators camped out for a seventh day in an effort to urge the school to divest companies with financial ties to Israel.
“Safety is our top priority as we strive to support our students’ learning and all required academic activities,” the Ivy League school said.
The arrangement will last at least until April 29, with teachers encouraged to “generously provide other accommodations to students who have requested support for virtual learning this week.”
Parents of Columbia students are being encouraged to demand refunds after the college canceled all in-person classes as it struggles to gain traction in the pro-Palestinian protests. On April 22, groups of demonstrators are seen on the site
Amid the ongoing tensions, remote learning will remain in effect through the end of the spring semester. Protesters are pictured outside the gates of the college on Monday, April 22
Embattled President Minouche Shafik, pictured giving testimony to Congress on April 17, is now facing calls to resign amid the unrest
But the decision was met with anger by many, who accused Columbia of failing to protect Jewish students.
“If a parent has a child in Columbia, they should demand reimbursement and then sue for breach of contract,” Gov. Mike Huckabee wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
He posted this in response to a video of researcher Shai Davidai being denied access to the school after organizing a pro-Israel counter-protest.
University sources said he was denied entry after refusing to hold the demonstration in a designated area.
“A Columbia degree is worth no more than a roll of toilet paper these days,” said New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov. ‘Parents: definitely demand reimbursement and compensation!’
The anger only fuels bipartisan calls for the resignation of beleaguered Columbia President Shafik.
Reps. Elise Stefanik, Tim Scott and John Fetterman are among the lawmakers urging her to resign.
“These “protests” are anti-Semitic, unconscionable and dangerous,” Fetterman said.
The decision to suspend in-person classes has been met with anger by many, who have accused Columbia of failing to protect Jewish students. Pro-Palestinian protesters are seen in Columbia on April 22
Unrest on campus has been increasing since last week, with more than a hundred pro-Palestinian activists arrested. Officers are photographed prior to a press conference on April 22
“Add some tiki torches and it’s Charlottesville for these Jewish students. To Columbia President Minouche Shafik: Do your job or resign so Columbia can find someone who will.”
Stefanik, meanwhile, said the campus is engulfed in “anarchy” as she urged Shafik to resign.
The struggling president also faced criticism from pro-Palestinian supporters following her disastrous testimony before Congress on the rise of anti-Semitism on campus.
The crackdown sparked rival protests on campus, with more than a hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrested.
It comes as several leading donors expressed outrage at the situation, with many withdrawing funding or renewing their commitment to stop supporting the school.
Billionaire Robert Kraft was among those so shocked by the events that he decided to withdraw his financial support from the institution.
The school I love so much — the one that welcomed me and offered me so many opportunities — is no longer an institution I recognize,” the New England Patriots owner and Columbia graduate said Monday.
“I am deeply saddened by the virulent hatred that continues to grow on campus and across our country.”
Unrest at the university intensified on Monday during the major Jewish holiday of Passover, when demonstrators set up camp to urge the school to divest companies with ties to Israel.
Similar encampments have sprung up at universities across the country, including Yale and NYU (pictured)
Lawmakers including Governor Mike Huckabee and New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov have encouraged parents to seek reimbursement from Columbia
Hedge fund boss Leon Cooperman did not hold back when addressing the escalating demonstrations.
“These kids are fucking crazy. They don’t understand what they are doing or what they are talking about,” Cooperman, the son of Jewish-Polish immigrants, told CNN on Monday, adding that the protesters “must be kept under control.”
Sources told the New York Post that billionaire businessman Len Blavatnik was also wondering whether to cut his funding.
The outlet reports that Cooperman, Blavatnik and Kraft have donated a total of $100 million to Columbia.
The demonstrations on Columbia’s Green have been going on since last week.
Similar camps have sprung up at colleges across the country, including Yale and NYU, as schools grapple with where to draw the line between allowing free speech and maintaining safe and inclusive campuses.