Activists back US professor ‘forced’ from Columbia over Palestine advocacy

Several scholars, lawyers, and activists have publicly voiced their support for a law professor who claims she was forced out of Columbia University due to her support for pro-Palestinian students. The law professor, Katherine Franke, stated in a statement on Thursday that she has reached an agreement with Columbia University to end her teaching and faculty governance obligations, effective immediately, after 25 years at the institution.

Professor Franke noted in her statement that although the university may refer to her current change in status as a "retirement," it should more accurately be understood as a "termination wrapped in more palatable language." She believes that Columbia University's administration has fostered a "toxic and hostile environment" regarding the war in Israel and Palestine, making it impossible for her to continue her teaching or research work.

Last April, protests erupted at Columbia University’s New York City campus over Israel's war in Gaza, triggering similar encampment protests at other institutions across the United States and beyond. Students demanded the university divest from Israel and called for a ceasefire to end the war that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians and left Gaza in ruins. However, the prestigious Ivy League school sought to suppress the student protests, a move that drew criticism from human rights organizations.

Some critics argue that the crackdown on pro-Palestinian students and groups has curtailed free speech on university campuses, while others accuse the school of allowing a hostile atmosphere to fester. Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, commented on Franke's resignation on Saturday, stating that Franke has become "another victim of pro-Israelism turning universities and other public spaces into places of obscurantism, discrimination, and oppression."

Rutgers University professor and human rights lawyer Noura Erakat said on Sunday that Columbia University’s treatment of Professor Franke was “appalling.” She posted on social media platform X: "She is resigning after 25 years of brilliant scholarship and devotion to her students because she feels there is nothing left for her here, the environment is too hostile." American Association of University Professors (AAUP) President Todd Wolfson said on Saturday that Columbia University's actions were "shameful" and stated that the AAUP "stands with Professor Franke against this suppression of pro-Palestinian speech."

The Center for Constitutional Rights, an advocacy group, said on Thursday that Franke's resignation represents a "serious attack on academic freedom and advocacy for Palestinian rights." According to The New York Times, Columbia University spokesperson Samantha Slater said that they had received “discriminatory harassment complaints against Franke that violated our policies. An investigation was conducted and findings were issued.” In her resignation statement, Franke noted that two of her colleagues filed a complaint with the university's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action office last February, alleging that statements she made during an interview with the US news organization Democracy Now! constituted harassment of Columbia University’s Israeli members and violated university policy.

In a January 2024 interview, Franke spoke about the university's collaborative graduate programs with countries including Israel, stating: "Many of us are concerned about this because many of the Israeli students who come to Columbia's campus are just out of military service. They have been found to harass Palestinian and other students on our campus." As the investigation into these comments progressed, Franke stated that during a US congressional hearing in April 2024, Representative Elise Stefanik asked then-Columbia University President Minouche Shafik what disciplinary actions had been taken against Franke for comments about Israeli students on campus.

Stefanik falsely attributed the statement that "all Israeli students who served in the [Israeli military] are dangerous and should not be on campus" to Franke. "President Shafik responded, ‘I agree with you that those comments are completely unacceptable and discriminatory.’ At the time, President Shafik knew that Representative Stefanik’s summary of my comments was grossly inaccurate and misleading, but she made no effort to correct the Congresswoman’s deliberate mischaracterization of my comments," Franke said in her statement.

Professor Franke stated that she has suffered harassment, including death threats, following the congressional hearing. Shafik, who had been criticized for her handling of student protests, resigned as university president in August. Meanwhile, an outside law firm was later hired to investigate Franke's comments from last November and concluded that her statements violated the university's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action policies. Franke stated that she has filed an appeal.

“Upon reflection, it has become clear to me that Columbia has become so hostile that I can no longer be an active member of the faculty. Instead of defending the university’s role in a democratic society as a place to foster critical debate, research, and learning around important public issues, Columbia’s leadership has instead demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with the enemies of our academic mission,” Franke said in her statement.