Columbia University announced on Thursday that it had issued a range of disciplinary actions against students who occupied a campus building last spring during pro-Palestinian protests.
The announcement followed the Trump administration’s decision to cancel $400 million in federal grants and contracts, citing what it described as the Ivy League school’s inadequate response to antisemitism on campus.
Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, acknowledged the administration’s concerns as legitimate and said the university was working with the government to address them. The protests, along with pro-Israel counter-protests, have led to accusations of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism.
In a statement, Columbia said its judicial board had determined findings and imposed sanctions on students involved in the occupation of Hamilton Hall, with punishments ranging from multi-year suspensions to temporary degree revocations and expulsions. The board, composed of students, faculty, and staff selected by the university Senate, did not disclose the names of those disciplined or the number of students affected, citing legal privacy restrictions. The students have the right to appeal.
The union representing Columbia student workers, UAW Local 2710, stated that its president, Grant Miner, was among those expelled—just one day before contract negotiations with the university were set to begin. The union condemned the decision as “the latest assault on First Amendment rights.” A university spokesperson declined to comment on the union’s statement.
Columbia was a focal point of anti-Israel protests that swept several US college campuses following Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent US-backed Israeli offensive in Gaza. Protesters called for university endowments to divest from Israeli-linked interests and for the US to end military aid to Israel, among other demands.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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