Overview
- A group of current and former Palestinian students and staff filed a complaint in New York State Supreme Court this week claiming Columbia discriminated against Palestinians on campus since late 2023.
- The filing details specific incidents including repeated keffiyehs being ripped off students, physical assaults at protests, a January 2024 incident involving a foul‑smelling spray, and the use of private investigators to surveil a March 2024 teach‑in that led to suspensions and housing evictions.
- Named plaintiffs include Hadeel (Haddel) Assali, Bahia Munem, Mahdi Sabbagh, Maryam Alwan and Layla Saliba, and they are seeking monetary relief under the city law that bars discrimination by national origin and related protections.
- Columbia has not responded to the new filing and previously denied discriminatory wrongdoing while settling earlier complaints and federal probes that led to multimillion‑dollar resolutions to restore federal funding.
- The lawsuit adds to a string of legal and regulatory challenges that could prompt further changes to Columbia’s disciplinary and protest‑policing practices and will directly affect the students and staff who say they faced harassment and unequal treatment.