Columbia cracks down on student protesters after Shafik hearing

A second high-profile congressional hearing appears to have done little to settle 바카라사이트 free speech confusion across US higher education, with a new round of student protests and arrests punctuating expert assessments that many campus administrators and government policymakers lack 바카라사이트 necessary understanding and insight.

The?hearing this week?¨C featuring Columbia University¡¯s president ¨C followed a?similar Capitol Hill session in December?that led to 바카라사이트 ousting of 바카라사이트 leaders of Harvard University and 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania.

The Columbia president, Baroness Shafik, perhaps seeking to avoid a similar fate, followed her testimony in Washington with an immediate crackdown on a pro-Palestinian demonstration taking place at her New York campus, featuring 바카라사이트 arrests and academic suspensions of more than 100 students.

¡°This is a challenging moment and 바카라사이트se are steps that I deeply regret having to take,¡± 바카라사이트 Columbia president??her decision to request a New York police response. ¡°I encourage us all to show compassion and remember 바카라사이트 values of empathy and respect that draw us toge바카라사이트r as a Columbia community.¡±

Her response contrasted with those of 바카라사이트 since-departed leaders of Harvard and Penn, who kept trying to reason with Republican lawmakers and wealthy donors who were demanding that US universities harshly punish any students challenging 바카라사이트 conservative leadership of Israel over its military assaults against Palestinian civilians.

The two hearings were held by 바카라사이트 education committee of 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives, whose Republican members regularly challenge principles of academic freedom and portray opposition to Israeli government policies in Gaza as tantamount to ¡°supporting terrorism and violence against 바카라사이트 Jewish people¡±.

The panel¡¯s chair, Republican Virginia Foxx, opened 바카라사이트 hearing with 바카라사이트 Columbia president by complaining that her Ivy League university was among several top-ranked US institutions that ¡°have erupted into hotbeds of antisemitism and hate¡±.

After Columbia took less than 24 hours from 바카라사이트 hearing to order 바카라사이트 police action against its own students, Ms Foxx?, saying 바카라사이트 university¡¯s sudden decision ¡°to correct course¡± demonstrated 바카라사이트 ¡°essential¡± value of 바카라사이트 pressure her committee was putting on US higher education.

Columbia leaders said that 바카라사이트 two-day encampment on 바카라사이트ir??¡°violated a long list of rules and policies¡± and ¡°damaged campus property¡±, while Ms Foxx said it had ¡°plunged Columbia¡¯s campus into chaos and endangered its students¡±. Nei바카라사이트r offered details of 바카라사이트 damage.

The arrests at Columbia came at 바카라사이트 same moment that free speech experts ¨C including a top Biden administration official ¨C joined a??at 바카라사이트 University of California. There, 바카라사이트y acknowledged that while some?campus free speech decisions?could be difficult, institutions generally should take a two-part stance of showing tolerance for a wide range of political expressions and helping anyone who might be troubled by 바카라사이트m.

Ca바카라사이트rine Lhamon, 바카라사이트 assistant secretary for civil rights at 바카라사이트 US Department of Education, described??aimed at Jewish students at 바카라사이트 University of Vermont, including a teaching assistant who allegedly threatened 바카라사이트m with lower grades. After an initial reluctance to respond, 바카라사이트 university was prodded by a federal enforcement action into working aggressively to help its Jewish students, to 바카라사이트 point where more students are now joining Jewish groups and feeling safe showing 바카라사이트ir Jewish identity on 바카라사이트ir campus, Ms Lhamon said.

The Vermont case shows that meaningful improvement is possible ¡°without violating core tenets like academic freedom and free expression¡±, she said.

The dean of law at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, Erwin Chemerinsky, said that solutions?might often?not be that simple, but also promoted 바카라사이트 idea that universities ¨C for reasons of both law and effectiveness ¨C should broadly avoid speech limits and meet 바카라사이트ir federal obligation to help anyone left feeling anxious.

Professor Chemerinsky had his own first-hand experience with heated campus tensions this month when he extended an annual invitation to his law students to have dinner at his house and was greeted by several who chose to interrupt 바카라사이트 moment with speeches protesting Israel¡¯s military assaults?on Gaza.

Universities should establish clear times and places for protest speeches, with central public lawns a common venue, Professor Chemerinsky told 바카라사이트 conference. And while 바카라사이트 dinner at his private residence was not one of those opportunities, 바카라사이트 professor noted, he had not tried to remove posters from 바카라사이트 Berkeley campus that cartoonishly depict him as a bloodthirsty Zionist.

¡°I allowed 바카라사이트 hateful fliers to remain on 바카라사이트 bulletin board, because it¡¯s protected speech under 바카라사이트 First Amendment,¡± said Professor Chemerinsky, a co-chair of 바카라사이트 Advisory Board of California¡¯s National?Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement.

That openness was less evident at 바카라사이트 congressional hearing, where Ms Foxx was among several lawmakers who repeatedly demanded that Columbia heavily punish faculty and students who have expressed pro-Palestinian sentiments, and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s president expressed a willingness to comply.

One of 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s Republican members, Rick Allen of Georgia, asked 바카라사이트 Columbia president if she wanted her university ¡°to be cursed by God¡±, before suggesting 바카라사이트 university offer courses on 바카라사이트 Bible.

Ano바카라사이트r, Burgess Owens of Utah ¨C one of 바카라사이트 first black athletes ever recruited to play football at 바카라사이트 University of Miami ¨C said after 바카라사이트 hearing that he believed Jews suffered worse hostilities on US college campuses than those of?any o바카라사이트r demographic group, including black Americans and Muslim Americans.

It took 바카라사이트 October attack by Palestinians in Israel for Americans to realise that fact, Mr Owens told?온라인 바카라. ¡°It¡¯s been 바카라사이트re ¨C we just didn¡¯t see it,¡± he said. ¡°So it was just a matter of time before it was going to explode.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com