The Department of Education is investigating anti-Palestinian discrimination at Columbia University amid recent protests there, according to Palestine Legal.
“Today @EDcivilrights announced that @Columbia is under federal investigation for anti-Palestinian racism, including inviting NYPD officers in riot gear to arrest Palestinian students and associates protesting Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” said Palestine Cool on Thursday in a post on social platform X.
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights must review all complaints brought to it, but Palestine Legal said it “only opens a formal investigation when it determines that the facts warrant further analysis.”
The investigation comes a week after Palestine Legal filed the complaint alleging that Colombia was discriminating against Palestinian students and those protesting for Gaza, creating an unsafe environment for them.
The complaint alleged the use of police to disperse the protests and the alleged threat to bring in the National Guard by school administrators, which the school claims did not happen.
The announcement also came two days after Columbia called on the New York Police Department (NYPD) to retake Hamilton Hall and clear the encampment after protesters seized the academic building. Around 300 people were arrested in the process.
“The law is clear: if universities do not cease racist repression against Palestinians and their supporters, they will risk losing federal funding,” said Radhika Sainath, senior lawyer at Palestine Legal.
When reached for comment, the Department of Education told The Hill it “does not comment further on pending investigations” and pointed to a list of open Title VI investigations, which will not be updated until next Tuesday.
The Hill has reached out to Columbia for comment.
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