Columbia University Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Discrimination Against Palestinians and Pro-Palestinian Activists

A coalition of current and former Palestinian students and staff members has filed a lawsuit against Columbia University, accusing the Ivy League institution of discriminatory treatment toward Palestinians and targeting pro-Palestinian activism on campus.

The lawsuit, filed this week in New York State Supreme Court, alleges that Columbia subjected Palestinian students, faculty members, and staff to discriminatory treatment following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza. The complaint alleges that the university “actively engaged in and enhanced” racial, ethnic, and politically motivated targeting of Palestinians.

Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former Columbia student, highlighted the lawsuit on X, saying Palestinian students had taken legal action over the university’s handling of demonstrations supporting Palestinians and Gaza. The plaintiffs allege that Columbia failed to adequately protect Palestinian members of its community from harassment while subjecting pro-Palestinian activists to what they describe as unjust and prejudicial disciplinary proceedings.

The complaint also alleges that Columbia hired private investigators to monitor students who participated in the “Resistance 101” event in March 2024. According to the lawsuit, six students were subsequently suspended and removed from university housing, which the plaintiffs cite as evidence of what they characterize as discriminatory enforcement against pro-Palestinian activism.