Columbia University Class Action Lawsuit Thwarted by Safety Measures Amid Anti-Israel Protests

Columbia University’s decision to shift classes online or into a hybrid format amid safety concerns sparked by anti-Israel protests has potentially stalled the possibility of class action lawsuits against the university, according to attorney Danny Karon. Jewish students may have had grounds for legal action earlier this week when Rabbi Elie Buechler advised them to leave campus due to unsafe conditions caused by agitators’ actions, as Columbia pledges to provide learning and working environments free from harassment. However, the university’s new guidelines that apply school-wide could make it challenging to determine who felt threatened enough to stay away, Karon explained. “Now that the school has made it a school-wide approach unwittingly might scuttle the possibility of a class action,” he said. Anti-Israel protests have disrupted Columbia’s campus for several days with demonstrators forming an encampment and demanding the university cut ties with Israeli organizations during its conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in civilian deaths on both sides. The new guidance came after House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that National Guard troops should be deployed to quell protests if necessary as violence spread through Israel and Hamas territories over several days recently; this sparked controversy amongst those protesting against Columbia’s involvement with Israeli groups. University President Dr Nemat Shafik acknowledged the safety concerns faced by students in her statement, emphasizing that she was “deeply saddened” by certain actions of anti-Israel agitators and calling for a reset as disagreements have increased on campus amid amplification from outsiders’ own objectives.