Columbia University reportedly punished at least 70 students who participated in campus-wide protests in the spring of 2024 and the takeover of a campus library in May 2025.
The majority of students facing disciplinary action will be suspended from the university for one to three years, with some facing expulsion, sources familiar with talks at Columbia told the New York Post. Around 80 students were arrested at the time of the disruptive takeover, which occurred during the university’s finals week, and other demonstrations at the university resulted in hundreds more arrests following violent clashes with police. (RELATED: Columbia Clamps Down On ‘Hateful Language’ Against Jews As Trump Admin Deal Reportedly Closes In)
“Our institution must focus on delivering on its academic mission for our community. And to create a thriving academic community, there must be respect for each other and the institution’s fundamental work, policies, and rules,” Columbia wrote in an announcement of the actions. “Disruptions to academic activities are in violation of University policies and Rules, and such violations will necessarily generate consequences.”
The university’s Tuesday statement praised itself for “The speed with which” its Judicial Board “has offered an equitable resolution” and said it “is a testament to the hard work of this institution to improve its processes.”
A Columbia spokesman referred the Daily Caller News Foundation to the university’s public statement, which does not state how many students were punished.
Protesters have put stickers on the doors of Butler Library at Columbia University on May 7, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Indy Scholtens/Getty Images)
The Ivy League institution became ground zero for anti-Israel protests following the start of the Israel-Hamas War in 2023, during which it failed to punish the majority of students who participated in campus demonstrations, which included the takeover of a separate campus building in which a university employee was reportedly held hostage. While the university later stated during negotiations with the Trump administration that it had punished several students for their involvement in the events, Columbia refused at the time to tell the Daily Caller News Foundation how many students were facing disciplinary action.
The Trump administration revoked $400 million from Columbia in March over allegations the Ivy League school failed to address antisemitism on campus and allowed for the repeated harassment of Jewish students. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in May said Columbia “failed” to adhere to its own policies regarding responding to complaints from Jewish students and enforcing punishments and acted with “deliberate indifference” towards antisemitism.
Columbia has since promised compliance with the administration’s demands and has adopted several changes regarding how it handles discrimination, including redefining antisemitism to prevent virtually any criticism of Jews and Israel. Despite negotiations, the Department of Education still petitioned for the school to lose its accreditation earlier in July.
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