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New York Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
What to Know About Trump Officials' Latest Move Against Columbia
In the latest act in its monthslong targeting of Columbia University, the Trump administration has formally accused the Ivy League institution of violating federal civil rights law by failing to protect Jewish students. The move, announced late Thursday, came as the White House intensified its crackdown on colleges that refuse to follow its agenda. Hours before releasing its accusations against Columbia, the administration told Harvard that its ability to enroll international students was being suspended, a remarkable step that a federal judge blocked swiftly on Friday. In the case of Columbia, where pro-Palestinian demonstrations against the war in Gaza ignited a national protest movement last year, the administration accused the university of breaching Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits the recipients of federal funds from engaging in discriminatory behavior. The potential fallout remained unclear on Friday. The administration, which previously suspended more than $400 million in research funding to Columbia, did not announce new penalties on Thursday. Earlier this month, administration officials praised the university's acting president, Claire Shipman, for quelling a demonstration at the main library on the Morningside Heights campus in Manhattan. Here's what we know: Columbia has already been accused of failings. How is this different? The move on Thursday appeared to reflect the administration's unusual approach to slashing federal funding to colleges. Historically, such cancellations would follow a lengthy review process. But, legal experts said, the Trump administration has not always adhered to standard procedure, taking swift action against universities' finances and sometimes notifying news outlets before campus leaders. The administration has not reached an agreement with Columbia about whether the funds will be restored and discussions are continuing. But the federal government would typically need to release the findings of an investigation before arriving at a resolution with a university, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The announcement on Thursday was considered a step by the administration to formalize its previous accusations against Columbia, rather than a signal of a new, heightened stage of the campaign against the university. The administration had already accused Columbia of 'ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students' when it slashed the federal grants and contracts in March. And when Columbia was ordered to drastically alter its admissions and disciplinary rules, the administration wrote that the university had failed to protect its campus from 'antisemitic violence and harassment in addition to other alleged violations of Title VI and Title VII.' (Title VII prevents private employers from discriminating based on race, religion or sex.) In response, Columbia announced changes to campus protest and security policies and new oversight of its Middle Eastern studies department. Are Columbia and President Trump on rocky terms? For more than a year, Republicans have clashed with Columbia's leadership over its response to antisemitic episodes on campus. Two university presidents have resigned abruptly, including Katrina Armstrong, who was replaced in March shortly after an appearance at a faculty meeting, where she seemed to downplay the effects of changes that the university had said it would make. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has largely shifted its attention to Harvard. Harvard's president, Alan Garber, has more fought back more forcefully against Mr. Trump and his administration, and federal officials have cut more than $2.6 billion in federal grants and contracts to the university. At Columbia, students mounted several large demonstrations toward the end of the spring semester and booed Ms. Shipman during the main commencement ceremony this week. Still, the Trump administration has not complained recently about Columbia's handling of campus protests or antisemitic episodes. A Columbia spokesman said on Friday that 'we understand this finding is part of our ongoing discussions with the government,' adding that the university was 'deeply committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of harassment and discrimination on our campus.' Anthony Archeval, the acting director of the Office for Civil Rights at H.H.S., said in a statement that Columbia 'cannot continue to act with deliberate indifference to the hostile environment created by its own students and faculty.' He added that the administration would continue to push for a 'meaningful and enforceable' plan to root out campus discrimination. Does Title VI apply to religious discrimination? Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin. In 2004, Kenneth L. Marcus, the interim leader of the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights at the time, expanded federal enforcement of Title VI to include ancestry, meaning students who are harassed because of their 'membership in groups that exhibit both ethnic and religious characteristics' such as Arab Muslims or Sikhs. The Obama administration later endorsed and clarified that interpretation of Title VI. And the Trump administration said on Thursday that Columbia's violations centered on failures to safeguard students 'based on their actual or perceived Israeli or Jewish identity or ancestry.' The administration said it had released the finding on Thursday after interviews with witnesses, an examination of news reports about antisemitic episodes on campus and a review of Columbia's policies and reports by a university task force on antisemitism.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bloomberg reporter arrested during anti-Israel protesters' takeover of Columbia University library — and is no longer employed by outlet
A now-former Bloomberg News reporter was arrested when anti-Israel protesters took over Columbia University's main library this month, according to law enforcement sources. Jason Kao, who also used to work at the New York Times, was charged with criminal trespass after NYPD officers entered Butler Library to regain control of the building on the elite Morningside Heights campus on May 7, sources confirmed Monday. Kao was given a desk appearance ticket following the arrest at Columbia. The graphics reporter is no longer employed by the financial news outlet, a Bloomberg spokesperson told The Post Monday. The spokesperson declined to comment when asked when Kao's last day was and whether the journalist was fired or resigned. The ex-staffer's arrest and apparent job loss were first reported by the Free Beacon. It's also unclear what role Kao, a 2022 Columbia graduate who wrote for the college's newspaper, played in the chaos at the library. The Post has reached out to the NYPD for comment. Police hauled away 81 people during the protest inside the Ivy League library, where protesters vandalized school property and banged on drums, disrupting other students attempting to study for final exams earlier this month. Acting school president Claire Shipman said at the time that two security guards were also injured when masked demonstrators stormed the building. More than 65 students have since faced interim suspensions, while 33 individuals from affiliated institutions and an unspecified number of alumni have been barred from campus. Kao previously worked at the New York Times as part of its fellowship program and most recently contributed to a Bloomberg article on May 1, the Free Beacon reported. Kao's now-deleted X account included numerous posts about the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza following the terror group's attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Free Beacon. Another high-profile person arrested during the library takeover was student Ramona Sarsgaard, the 18-year-old daughter of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. Attempts to reach Kao were unsuccessful Monday night.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbia says it suspended some masked anti-Israel student rioters who trashed campus library: ‘Need to see serious consequences'
Columbia University students and Jewish advocates called on the Ivy League school Thursday to crack down on the scores of anti-Israel rioters who took part in a violent takeover of a campus library. The elite Morningside Heights school has already handed down at least 65 interim suspensions to students who were part of Wednesday's Butler Library chaos pending further investigation, a school official told The Post. Another 33 individuals, including those from affiliated institutions, and an unspecified number of alumni were also barred from campus, the official said as Columbia faced pressure to take strong action against the agitators. 'What happens the day after? We need to see serious consequences,' Joseph Postasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis told The Post, calling for 'some Old Testament' justice. 'This happened during preparation for final exams — they don't qualify as serious students,' he said of the rioters. 'There should be harsh consequences — people were assaulted. Columbia needs to come down hard or this activity will happen again and again.' Postasnik's sentiment was echoed by the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, which said it was 'dismayed at the violence, destruction of property and antisemitic acts by protesters' at the library, while still thanking the school for calling in the cops. 'We look forward to Columbia holding these students accountable for their actions so that the 99% of Jewish and non-Jewish students can do what they pay for — focus on learning.' Officials vowed that any student or staff member who broke Columbia's rules could expect to be held accountable. 'We will use the full scope of our disciplinary system, and have already suspended students involved,' it warned. Dozens of masked thugs stormed the campus library in the afternoon as students studied there. The protesters committed acts of vandalism and injured two campus security guards in the melee, prompting the school to call in the NYPD hours later, administrators said. While the NYPD arrested 81 rioters at Butler Library, the latest numbers of protesters suspended or barred from campus suggest many more rabble-rousers were involved. In all, 62 women and 19 men were cuffed by NYPD cops and have since been released with tickets or summonses for trespassing or criminal mischief, law-enforcement sources said. Their identities were not released. Four summonses were also issued to rowdy participants by Special Patrol Officers at the school, officials said. Acting Columbia University president Claire Shipman put out a video statement Thursday morning condemning the 'substantial chaos' caused by the mob, and hinting that 'the disciplinary proceedings will reflect the severity of the actions,' but did not give further specifics. Shipman said the disruptive protest forced some 900 students from the library reading room, many of whom left their belongings behind in the chaos. She condemned the rioters for intruding on hard-working pupils whose studies were interrupted. 'It's a big shame and a big offense to students who are trying to study for the finals. It's an unbelievably considerate disruption that does frankly nothing for their cause,' agreed Natan Rosenbaum, 22, a junior studying American Studies. He called the library break-in 'completely inexcusable.' 'This is nothing more than sowing chaos and anarchy and I'm glad it was shut down,' he told The Post Thursday, praising Shipman for having the cops bust up the demonstration. Elisha Baker, also a junior, called the mob's actions 'outrageous and unacceptable,' and said he was grateful for Columbia Public Safety officers holding the ground, despite being far outnumbered. 'I am looking forward to seeing any students involved disciplined for their behavior. There is no place for those actions on a college campus,' he said. Although it was quiet on the Morningside Heights campus a day after the violent episode, Matan Barak, 22, an Israel Defense Forces soldier on vacation, said he feared further escalation was still possible. 'What are they waiting for? For something worse to happen?' he said of the university administration. As for the protesters' frequently repeated refrain of 'free Palestine,' Barak said, 'If you have never been in Israel, how could you cheer on a team you've never been to? If you've never seen a basketball game, how could you cheer a team you don't know?' He was incredulous that the students involved in the riot were allowed to remain on the rolls. 'Why do they still have people that go to school here that want to kill Jews? That's what they want to do,' he said. Columbia stressed it was quick to act when the mob stormed the library and was in line with protocols put in place in recent months. Columbia has been locked in tense negotiations with the Trump administration over demands it take meaningful action to curb antisemitism on campus — which has erupted in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks that killed over 1,200 people. President Trump threatened to yank around $400 million in federal funding if the school failed to comply, and in March Columbia agreed to adhere to many of the requirements in principle, chief among them forbidding mask wearing by students engaged in violations of university policies. Nearly all of Wednesday's rioters were wearing masks while flagrantly flouting the rules, and the university's response will be something of a referendum on how strictly it intends to follow the newly implemented prohibitions. University guidelines dictate officers can ask an individual on campus to briefly pull down their mask so they can be identified — with any refusal to do that and show a school ID possibly leading to a person's removal from school grounds or even an arrest for trespassing. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the feds would be reviewing the visa statuses of those involved in the mayhem. Additional reporting by David Propper
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maggie Gyllenhaal's daughter Ramona Sarsgaard arrested during Columbia protests
Maggie Gyllenhaal's daughter Ramona Sarsgaard was arrested during the chaotic anti-Israel protests at Columbia University on Wednesday, police sources said. Sarsgaard, 18, who attends Columbia College, was slapped with a desk appearance ticket for criminal trespassing, the sources said. The actress's daughter — who Gyllenhaal shares with husband Peter Sarsgaard — was one of nearly 80 agitators arrested while storming the university's Butler Library on Wednesday evening as students prepared for final exams. At least two school safety officers were injured in the melee, officials said. As of Thursday, the elite Morningside Heights school had handed down at least 65 interim suspensions to students who were part of the chaos, pending further investigation, a school official said. It's unclear if Sarsgaard was one of those suspended. Video obtained by The Post showed a line of protesters led out in zip ties by NYPD officers and onto waiting police buses following the ruckus, which started when demonstrators shoved past a security guard at the library's front entrance, disrupting focused students. Once inside, they draped large signs over bookshelves, scrawled 'Columbia Will Burn' on a glass case inside the library, and marked tables with colored tape. Another 33 individuals, including those from affiliated institutions, and an unspecified number of alumni, were also barred from campus, the official said — as Columbia faced public pressure to take strong action against the rabble-rousers. Little is known about Sarsgaard's personal life and she doesn't appear to have ever publicly spoken out about the Israel-Gaza war or the ensuing protests that have roiled college campuses nationwide. It's also not known what she is studying at Columbia, but she follows in the footsteps of her famous mother, who graduated from the Ivy League school with a bachelor's degree in English literature before appearing in dozens of films including the 2008 blockbuster 'The Dark Knight.' Her uncle, Jake Gyllenhaal, attended the prestigious university for two years before dropping out to concentrate on his acting career. And her grandmother, Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, is also a Columbia alum, according to reports. Naomi's first husband, American history expert Eric Foner, is currently listed as a professor within Columbia's Department of History. Her second husband, Stephen Gyllenhaal, is Maggie and Jake's dad. Sarsgaard's parents have had roles in films that explore parts of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Gyllenhaal, 47, starred as a British-Israeli billionaire who uses her family business to promote peace and resolution between Israel and Palestine in Sundance TV's spy thriller miniseries 'The Honorable Woman.' The series was released in July 2014, in the midst of a bloody, 50-day long battle launched by Israel in the Gaza Strip that left over 2,250 people killed on both sides. At the show's premiere in the Big Apple on July 23, 2014, Peter Sarsgaard wore a peace sign T-shirt and told his two daughters – who were seven and two years old at the time – that there was 'a lot of war going on,' Variety reported. In an interview about the series with the Hollywood Reporter, Gyllenhaal said the war 'feels like an impossible situation.' 'I just mean it can be so difficult to have a conversation about what is happening in Israel and Palestine right now. [The show] very consciously does not take a side; it doesn't say, 'We believe this, and we don't believe that.' We lay out aspects of the conflict, and we ask the audience to think and feel for themselves. I'm really hungry for that, and I bet a lot of other people are too,' she told the outlet. Just last year, Peter Sarsgaard, 54, starred in 'September 5,' a movie based on the true story of the 1972 Munich Massacre, in which a group of Palestinian terrorists stormed the Olympic Games, taking Israeli athletes hostage. While filming the movie in 2024 – just months after Hamas's vicious, Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel – onlookers would yell 'Zionist propaganda' in the film crew's direction, the Irish Times reported in February. The film 'has a Swiss director. We have German producers and we have American producers, but I don't think any of them are Zionists so far as I know,' Peter Sarsgaard told the outlet. 'My position has always been that what was true in 1971 is still true today – about the Palestinians and the Israelis,' he said. Reps for Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard did not immediately respond to requests for comment. When The Post paid a visit to Sarsgaard's ritzy Cobble Hill townhouse on Friday, an unidentified woman swiftly shut the front door after a reporter identified herself and asked for Ramona. A Columbia spokesperson declined to answer questions about Sarsgaard's role in the protest and whether she faced disciplinary action, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. — Additional reporting by Khristina Narizhnaya
CBS News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Columbia University limits campus access following protests, dozens in custody
Dozens of people taken into custody at Columbia protest Dozens of people taken into custody at Columbia protest Dozens of people taken into custody at Columbia protest Dozens of people were taken into custody during protests at Columbia University on Wednesday, and the school is once again limiting access to its campus. Only those with a university ID or approved faculty guests will be allowed past checkpoints Thursday, according to a message on the school's website. All other visitors, including alumni, will not. Columbia's safety protocols outline three levels of campus access: "O" for open, "I" for ID only and "R" for restricted. The campus is currently at the second level, "I." Butler Library, where the protest took place, reopened Thursday, as students are studying for their final exams, Columbia's Acting President Claire Shipman wrote in an update. Rubio says feds are reviewing Columbia protesters' visas U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the protest, saying the federal government will be reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over the school's campus library in Morningside Heights. Rubio has called for Columbia graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil to be deported, in part, for his role in last year's campus protests. Khalil, who is a legal permanent resident and has not been charged with a crime, was taken into custody in March and remains in an ICE detention center in Louisiana, along with Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk. Another Columbia activist, Mohsen Mahdawi, was also taken into custody, but was released last week. In a memorandum filed in Khalil's case, Rubio did not cite specific evidence against the 30-year-old but argued that he is deportable under a statute in federal immigration law that says the government is entitled to deport noncitizens whose presence in the country damages national foreign policy interests. "The foreign policy of the United States champions core American interests and American citizens," Rubio wrote last month, "and condoning anti-Semitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective." Rubio said in March that at least 300 students had their visas rescinded after they were accused of expressing support for Palestinians or participating in campus protests. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators take over room in Butler Library Columbia's acting president said she was forced to call in the NYPD on Wednesday night after Pro-Palestinian demonstrators stormed Butler Library and refused to leave, despite repeated orders. Cellphone video showed protestors, many in masks, forcing their way inside, where they vandalized property and took over a reading room, as students were studying for final exams. University officials say at least two campus safety officers were injured during a crowd surge, as more people tried forcing their way in. CBS News New York saw two people leaving in an ambulance. "A group of protesters occupied one of the main reading rooms in Butler library, refusing to leave, and another group breached the front door causing substantial chaos—all of this as the bulk of our students are working hard to prepare for exams," Shipman said in a video message Wednesday night. "These actions not only represented a violation of University policies, but they also posed a serious risk to our students and campus safety." As the confrontation escalated inside, Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also clashed with police on the outskirts of campus, pushing barricades and shutting down the block. A student group affiliated with protestors posted a message reading in part, "Safety officers have choked and beaten us. But we have not wavered. We refuse to show our ids under militarized arrest." The NYPD took at least 80 people into custody. The university's acting president said the administration believes a significant portion of protestors were not affiliated with the university.
