Protests escalating at Columbia University ahead of final exams
U.S. congressional candidate Alison Esposito, R-N.Y., on protesters taking over Columbia campus and the safety concerns for students and law enforcement as a result
The House of Representatives issued a subpoena to several Columbia University officials on Wednesday as part of an ongoing antisemitism investigation.
Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., issued six subpoenas to school personnel, including interim president, Katrina Armstrong, and the Co-Chairs and Vice Chairs of the University’s Board of Trustees, as part of the ongoing effort to address antisemitism at Columbia University.
"Columbia should be a partner in our efforts to ensure Jewish students have a safe learning environment on its campus, but instead, university administrators have slow rolled the investigation, repeatedly failing to turn over necessary documents," Foxx said in a statement. "The information we have obtained points to a continued pattern of negligence towards antisemitism and a refusal to stand up to the radical students and faculty responsible for it."
"The goal of this investigation has always been to protect Jewish students and faculty, and if compulsory measures are necessary to obtain the documents the Committee requires, so be it," she added.
Armstrong took over for embattled former Columbia University President Minouche Shafik, who resigned earlier this month. She faced repeated calls to step down over her response to the anti-Israel protests and encampments that overtook Columbia's campus in the spring and led to the canceling of classes, as well as the school's main commencement ceremony in May.
"Columbia is committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination," a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "We have provided thousands of documents over the past seven months in response to the committee’s dozens of ongoing requests, and we remain committed to cooperating with the committee."
The House of Representatives issued a subpoena to several Columbia University officials on Wednesday as part of an ongoing antisemitism investigation. (Peter Gerber)
On April 26, following the establishment of anti-Israel protesters' "Gaza Solidarity Encampment," which Columbia admitted "created a hostile environment in violation of Title VI," the committee sent the university an updated set of priority requests.
The Committee identified three categories of materials as its top priorities in the subpoena: communications from specified custodians; Board of Trustees meeting minutes, notes, and summaries; and information on disciplinary cases relating to the encampment or from the period since the establishment of the encampment, Foxx explained. She said Columbia has failed thus far to provide the information, despite numerous efforts by the committee.
The committee is now requesting all documents and communications referring and relating to antisemitism since October 7, 2023, the date of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. This, Foxx said, includes anything related to the Gaza Solidarity Encampment involving key Columbia officials.
Representative Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina and chairwoman of the House Workforce and Education Committee, right, and Representative Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia and ranking member of the House Workforce and Education Committee, during a hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. (Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In addition, the subpoena requests all Board of Trustees meeting minutes, notes, summaries and recordings since April 17, 2024 and all Board of Trustees meeting minutes, notes, summaries and recordings since October 7, 2023 that refer to antisemitism or Israel.
Lastly, the subpoena requests all documents and communications referring or relating to alleged antisemitic incidents or conduct violations relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by Columbia students, faculty, and staff since October 7.
At the beginning of August, three deans at Columbia resigned from their positions after they engaged in a texting exchange described as "unprofessional," featuring "disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes."
Susan Chang-Kim, vice dean and chief administrative officer, Matthew Patashnick, associate dean for student and family support, and Cristen Kromm, dean of undergraduate student life, all stepped down.
All three administrators criticized an antisemitism panel on May 31 in a text message exchange, The Washington Free Beacon first reported. Patashnick said one of the panelists was trying "to take full advantage of this moment. Huge fundraising potential." Kromm texted vomiting emojis about a rabbi's op-ed and wrote, "Amazing what $$$$ can do."
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Fox News' Yael Halon and Josh Nelson contributed to this report.