Columbia probed student for Catholic beliefs while failing to act on anti-Semitic vandalism
Columbia investigated a graduate student and deemed his Catholic social media posts as 'discriminatory harassment.'
The school has also reportedly refused to cooperate with DHS efforts to identify violent pro-Palestine agitators on campus.
Columbia University in New York City investigated a graduate student over online posts expressing his Catholic beliefs—even as the school reportedly refused to cooperate with federal efforts to identify pro-Hamas agitators on campus.
Daniel Di Martino, a Ph.D. candidate in economics, detailed in City Journal that Columbia’s Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) informed him he was under investigation for “discriminatory harassment” based on multiple complaints about his social media activity.
Di Martino said the complaints focused on his posts promoting Catholic views, including one that read, “God does not teach us that we can change our gender.” Another post criticized “gender ideology” and Critical Race Theory for contributing to the decline of Christianity in the West.
While Columbia did not cite a policy violation, OIE officials warned Di Martino that his views could create a “hostile environment” for transgender students. They asked him to consider the “threatening” nature of such statements before posting in the future.
Polls suggest many Americans share Di Martino’s views. A recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found that two-thirds of U.S. adults believe a person’s sex is determined by biology.
A 2023 poll conducted by The Washington Post found similar results.
Critics say Columbia has shown less interest in investigating pro-Palestine student activists accused of threatening behavior.
After an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in April, Columbia activists declared, “This victory is Gaza’s alone, we must fight and escalate!” Fliers circulated on campus in March outlined steps for pro-Palestinian vandalism, including smashing windows with sledgehammers and spray-painting slogans like “Free Palestine.”
A former protester even claimed to have built a firearm with the intent of “killing Jews,” according to independent reports.
The White House has said that Columbia refused to assist the Department of Homeland Security in identifying individuals involved in pro-Hamas activity who may be eligible for deportation.
“Columbia University has been given the names of other individuals who have engaged in pro-Hamas activity, and they are refusing to help DHS identify those individuals on campus,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated in March.
Campus Reform has contacted Columbia University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
