Columbia University deans resign after exchanging disparaging texts during meeting on antisemitism

2024-12-24 09:10:14 source: category:Stocks

NEW YORK (AP) — Three deans at Columbia University have resigned after exchanging disparaging texts during a campus discussion about Jewish life and antisemitism, the school confirmed Thursday.

The resignations come a month after Columbia said it had removed the administrators from their positions and would keep them on leave indefinitely. University President Minouche Shafik said in a July 8 letter to the school community that the messages were unprofessional and “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes.”

“Whether intended as such or not, these sentiments are unacceptable and deeply upsetting,” Shafik wrote.

The deans were first put on leave after a conservative news outlet published images of what it said were texts they exchanged while attending a May 31 panel discussion titled “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future.”

They have not been identified by Columbia, but their names have circulated widely in media reports.

The panel was held at an annual alumni event a month after university leaders called in police to clear pro-Palestinian protesters from an occupied administration building and dismantle a tent encampment that had threatened to disrupt graduation ceremonies.

RELATED COVERAGE University of Georgia panel upholds sanctions for 6 students over Israel-Hamas war protest Judge dismisses antisemitism lawsuit against MIT, allows one against Harvard to move ahead Harvard appoints Alan Garber as president through 2026-27 academic year

The Washington Free Beacon obtained some of the private messages through someone who attended the event and took photos of one of the deans’ phones.

Some included snarky comments about people in the university community. One suggested that a panelist speaking about antisemitism planned to use it as a fundraising opportunity. Another disparaged a campus rabbi’s essay about antisemitism.

The administrators have not commented publicly since their exchange became public in June. Two of them — Cristen Kromm, the former dean of undergraduate student life, and Matthew Patashnick, the former associate dean for student and family support — did not immediately respond to phone messages seeking comment. The third, Susan Chang-Kim, could not immediately be reached.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce has since published some of the messages.

Shafik has promised to launch a “vigorous program of antisemitism and antidiscrimination training for faculty and staff” in the fall, as well as related training for students.

More:Stocks

Recommend

Rafael dissolves into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after hitting Cuba as a hurricane

MIAMI (AP) — Rafael has weakened into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after barreling ac

Michigan appeals court stands by ruling that ex-officer should be tried for murder

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals denied a request Thursday to reconsider its

'Wicked Tuna' star Charlie Griffin found dead with dog in North Carolina's Outer Banks

After days of searching in the ocean for a missing boat, authorities confirmed that a person and a d