Columbia University announced on Tuesday (July 22) that they have issued disciplinary actions against more than seventy students for participating in anti-Israel protests at the Butler Library on campus earlier this year, as well as for setting up tents without permission during last spring’s alumni week. Some students have been suspended for two years, while others faced expulsion.
The Trump administration accused Columbia University in March of “continuously tolerating harassment against Jewish students” and froze $400 million in federal grants to the school. Both parties are currently seeking to reach an agreement to have the funds unfrozen.
In a statement, Columbia University said, “We must focus on fulfilling our academic mission, and maintaining mutual respect and compliance with campus regulations is the fundamental premise for building an academic community. Behaviors that disrupt campus academic activities violate the rules and will inevitably face corresponding consequences.”
The disciplinary actions were handled by the University Judicial Board (UJB), consisting of professors and administrative staff. The university stated that the committee “worked diligently throughout the summer to review cases and make disciplinary decisions for each student based on facts and past records.”
The list of disciplined students has not been publicly disclosed. According to the university, the violations included the protest at the Butler Library in May, which affected hundreds of students studying in the library, and another incident during the 2024 spring alumni week where students illegally set up tents on campus for a sit-in.
The university emphasized that the judicial committee system is able to swiftly impose “fair discipline” on implicated students, demonstrating the university’s commitment to improving its handling procedures. Following the protest incidents, the university immediately launched an investigation, temporarily suspended the involved students, and barred outsiders and other school members from entering the campus.
The university explained that the judicial committee completed hearings about ten weeks after the events, allowing students the opportunity to present their views before reaching conclusions and disciplinary actions.
On March 13, the Trump administration sent a letter to Columbia University listing nine demands as prerequisites for resuming funding negotiations, one of which was to enforce the university’s existing disciplinary regulations strictly.
Columbia University has also agreed to the federal government’s demands, prohibiting students from wearing masks on campus. The statement emphasized, “Any attempt to conceal identity through mask-wearing to violate the rules or laws is not allowed.”