Barnard agrees to settle antisemitism case, enacts 'zero tolerance' policy
A zero tolerance policy against antisemitism was announced as part of the school's legal settlement Monday.
Barnard College will also appoint a Title VI coordinator and hold students accountable for off-campus conduct.
Barnard College will inform students and staff of a “zero tolerance” policy against antisemitism and restrict campus protests as part of a legal settlement announced Monday.
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The Manhattan college, affiliated with Columbia University, resolved a February lawsuit filed by Students Against Antisemitism and the StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, Kasowitz, a law firm which represented Jewish students involved in the case, announced Monday. The suit accused Barnard and Columbia of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students during anti-Israel demonstrations.
Under the agreement, Barnard will ban masks at demonstrations, appoint a Title VI coordinator, restrict protests and hold students accountable for off-campus conduct, and refuse to meet or negotiate with Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the coalition behind last spring’s campus encampments.
”Today’s settlement reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining a campus that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all members of our community,” Barnard College President Laura Ann Rosenbury said in a press release. The administrator adds that expectations for students and staff are now “crystal clear.”
Columbia University remains under federal investigation, and its case is ongoing.
Other institutions, including Harvard University, are involved in or have settled similar disputes revolving around antisemitism on campus.