Posted on 07/08/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
Three Columbia University administrators have been “permanently removed” from their positions after images were published of texts they sent mocking a panel on Jewish life on campus, University President Minouche Shafik and University Provost Angela Olinto announced in an email to the university community on Monday.
Shafik stated that the comments made by the three administrators were “unacceptable and deeply upsetting, conveying a lack of seriousness about the concerns and the experiences of members of our Jewish community.”
She added that the messages were “antithetical to our university’s values and the standards.”
The administrators have been placed on indefinite leave. Though they remain in the university's employ, they will not be restored to their previous positions.
During the May 31 event, titled “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present, and Future,” the three officials shared texts dismissive of the suffering of Jewish students who have experienced antisemitism in the aftermath of the Hamas massacre of October 7.
“Comes from such a place of privilege,” wrote Susan Chang-Kim, the university’s vice dean and chief administrative officer. “Hard to hear the woe is me, we need to huddle at the Kraft Center,” Columbia’s Jewish student center, where Hillel is housed.
“Yup. Blind to the idea that non-Israel supporting Jews have no space to come together,” responded Cristen Kromm, a dean of undergraduate student life.
“If only every identity community had these resources and support,” Kromm added several minutes later.
At one point, Chang-Kim wrote, "I'm going to throw up."
“Amazing what $$$$ can do,” Kromm said during a discussion on the media attention the antisemitism crisis has received.
When Brian Cohen, the executive director of Columbia’s Hillel, was speaking, Chang-Kim called him "such a problem."
“He knows exactly what he’s doing and has to take full advantage of this moment. Huge fundraising potential,” said Matthew Patashnick, an associate vice dean for student and family support.
The university suspended Chang-Kim, Kromm and Patashnick last month after the texts came to light. Now they have been removed from their positions permanently.
While antisemitic incidents began rising at Columbia in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 massacre, the anti-Israel tent encampment that was erected on the Columbia campus on April 17 created an even more unsafe environment for Jewish students and faculty.
The protests frequently featured calls for violence against Jews. In one incident, two protesters shouted at Jewish counterprotesters that the October 7 massacre would be repeated "every day" and "10,000" times." In addition, a protester held a sign calling on the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization to murder Jewish students. on campus.
Early in the encampment protests, an Orthodox rabbi at Columbia warned Jewish students to stay away from campus for their own safety.
In another incident, an anti-Israel protester hit a counterprotester in the face with a rock.
In late April, anti-Israel protesters broke into and occupied Columbia University's Hamilton Hall. The following day, NYPD officers were brought in to remove the protesters from campus, and many were arrested.
Columbia ultimately canceled its university-wide commencement ceremony in response to the anti-Israel protests.