Columbia Suspends Deans Over 'Antisemitic Tropes'

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Facts

  • Three Columbia University deans have been permanently removed from their positions over text messages they exchanged during a panel on Jewish life. The school claims the texts were 'unprofessional' and 'disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes.'1
  • The three former staff members, dean of undergraduate student life Cristen Kromm, associate dean for student and family support Matthew Patashnick, and vice dean and chief administrative officer Susan Chang-Kim, have been placed on indefinite leave.2
  • While the three administrators have been indefinitely suspended, Josef Sorett, another person involved in the text exchange, has remained in his post after making a public apology.3
  • In his apology, Sorett said he's 'deeply sorry that this happened in a community that [he] lead[s]' and that he 'pledge[s] to spearhead the change' to ensure the incident isn't repeated.4
  • The controversial text messages included Chang-Kim saying she found the panel 'difficult to listen to,' Kromm sending vomit emojis about an article written by Columbia's campus rabbi, and Patashnick implying the panel was being used for 'fundraising' purposes.1

Sources: 1Forbes, 2Wsj, 3New York Post and 4CNN.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Jewish Journal. This is the least Columbia can do given its horrendous lack of action following Oct. 7. Columbia responded to the attack by allowing pro-Hamas students and professors to get away with both verbal and physical abuse against Jewish students and faculty, leaving students hidden in their dorms and professors fearing for their safety at home and in class. Faculty are supposed to protect students, but many chose instead to cater to the violent mob over the Jewish community.
  • Narrative B, as provided by MintPress News. Universities have an obligation to call out vile rhetoric aimed at Jews, but to pretend that Jewish students at elite US institutions are oppressed is nonsensical. As for referencing the pro-Israel donor class, American billionaires threatened to withhold millions of dollars in donations if schools didn't crack down on pro-Palestine protests, to which these universities quickly obliged. Disagreeing with Zionism and critiquing the overwhelming financial support behind the movement doesn't equate to antisemitism.

Predictions