Palestine Legal has taken action this week by filing a civil rights complaint against Columbia University with the US Department of Education. The complaint urges the Office for Civil Rights to investigate the treatment of Palestinian students and their allies at the university.
The complaint extends beyond recent events, including the arrest of over 100 protesting students by the NYPD. It alleges that Palestinian students, Arabs, Muslims, those perceived to be Palestinian, and individuals advocating for Palestinians have faced anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian harassment as well as Islamophobia over the past months.
Four students and Columbia's Students for Justice in Palestine are represented in the complaint. According to Palestine Legal, these students have reported receiving death threats and being subjected to harassment for wearing keffiyehs or hijabs, doxing, stereotyping, and facing differential treatment by high-ranking administrators, including Columbia University President Minouche Shafik.
Palestine Legal emphasizes that the school has a duty to safeguard all its students, including Palestinians and their supporters, and should not resort to threats of involving law enforcement or the military. Columbia University has refuted claims that the National Guard was ever considered as an option during negotiations with protesters.
Highlighting the escalating situation, Palestine Legal disclosed that since October 7th alone, they have received reports of over 1,800 incidents, a stark increase compared to the total number received in 2022. This surge underscores a concerning trend of heightened anti-Palestinian repression across the United States, as stated in a press release by Palestine Legal.
