NEW YORK — Columbia University has suspended two groups of students for the remainder of the fall semester.
The school says this is because Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace have repeatedly violated school rules.
Officials cited an event Thursday afternoon involving “threatening rhetoric and intimidation.”
The Chairman of the Special Committee on Campus Safety issued the following statement:
“Columbia University is suspending Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) as official student groups until the end of the fall term. This decision was made after both groups repeatedly violated university policies related to hosting events on campus. , culminating in an unauthorized event Thursday afternoon that went ahead despite warnings and included threatening speeches and intimidation.
“The suspension means that both groups will not be eligible to host on-campus events or receive funding from the University. Lifting the suspension will be contingent on both groups demonstrating a commitment to upholding the University’s policies. the University and to engage in consultations at the group management level with University officials.
“Like all student groups, SJP and JVP are required to respect the policies and procedures. This ensures both the safety of our community and that core University activities can proceed without interruption. During this particularly busy time on our campus, we are strongly committed to providing space for student groups to participate in debate, advocacy, and protest. This depends on community members following the rules and cooperating with University administrators who have a duty to ensure the safety of all members of our community. »
CBS New York received backlash from some students on campus.
“I think the university should definitely be a place that supports free speech,” said student Tiffany Le.
“It just seems like they want to stifle a certain crowd of voices. I don’t know why they wouldn’t want to work with the student groups instead of just suspending them,” said student Kelsey Harrison.
We contacted these two groups of students. We have not yet received a response.