A group of current and former Palestinian students and staff have sued Columbia University in New York, accusing discriminatory treatment of the university's Palestinian community since late 2023, according to a court filing.
The lawsuit accuses Columbia of failing to protect Palestinian students and staff from harassment while subjecting them to what it describes as "unfair and biased disciplinary hearings."
Columbia has previously denied discriminatory treatment and condemned hate. Local media reported that the university declined to comment on the pending litigation. It did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Pro-Palestinian protests
Protests erupted at Columbia and universities across the United States after Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.
Demonstrators called for an end to US support for Israel and demanded that universities divest from companies they said supported Israel.
In May 2025, Columbia suspended more than 65 students over a pro-Palestinian demonstration that shut down the university's main library.
The protest came as Columbia was negotiating with US President Donald Trump's administration, which had cut federal funding to the university after accusing it of failing to adequately address anti-Semitism during pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Protesters, including some Jewish groups, have argued that opposition to Israel's genocidal war on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories is not inherently anti-Semitic.
Columbia agreed in July last year to pay more than $200 million to the US government to resolve federal investigations and restore most of its federal funding.
Free speech groups have criticised the university's crackdown on protests, during which students faced arrests, suspensions, expulsions and, in some cases, the revocation of degrees.
