Pro-Palestinian protesters rallying outside Columbia University main campus in Nov. 2023. Photo by Camillo Barone

By Camillo Barone March 14, 2024

Columbia University is considering reinstating its chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, two student clubs that it suspended in Nov. 2023 for staging “unauthorized events” that included “threatening rhetoric and intimidation,” breaking campus rules.

The revelation came via an email response after the Forward asked if Columbia had considered responding to a March 12 lawsuit against the school from the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), and Palestine Legal, an advocacy group based in Chicago. While the lawsuit has had no bearing on the University’s consideration of SJP and JVP, a Columbia spokesperson has shared that representatives from the groups have met with staff advisers in January to discuss steps toward reinstatement.

The university noted that reinstatement would require the groups’ full compliance with university policies and procedures. “At present, they have not yet committed to doing so and remain suspended,” Columbia Office of Public Affairs and Communications staff said in an email.

According to a university spokesperson, the decision to suspend the groups was made after they allegedly failed to adhere to university rules despite repeated reminders and warnings.

Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the NYCLU, expressed concerns over the university’s actions, stating, “Universities should be havens for robust debate, discussion, and learning — not sites of censorship where administrators, donors, and politicians squash political discourse they don’t approve of.”

Cameron Jones, an organizer with Columbia’s JVP chapter, raised concerns about the university’s decision to suspend a Jewish group, saying it “sets a concerning precedent for safeguarding free speech on college campuses.” Jones highlighted the importance of protecting all voices within the Jewish community, including those critical of Zionism.

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