New york: Student activist Mahmoud Khalil and other pro-Palestinian activists have initiated a lawsuit against Columbia University, accusing the institution of failing to shield them from harassment and threats. They assert that these incidents have persisted over several years due to their activism in support of Palestinian rights.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the lawsuit was filed in federal court in Manhattan by Khalil, the "Working Group for Palestine" at the university's School of International and Public Affairs, and the group's president, Mohammed Zubairi. It claims that Columbia University breached federal civil rights law by not implementing sufficient measures to protect students from threats, exposure of personal information, and other forms of harassment based on their actual or perceived Arab or Muslim backgrounds or their advocacy for Palestinian rights.
During a press conference at Columbia University to announce the lawsuit, Khalil stated that the university has exhibited "anti-Palestinian bigotry," which he claimed is embedded in various departments and endorsed by the Board of Trustees. Khalil emphasized, "We are filing this lawsuit because no student, regardless of their background, should have to go through the hell we experienced at Columbia University all these years."
Columbia University, when approached for a comment, declined to address the lawsuit directly. A spokesperson for the university highlighted that creating a campus environment where all community members feel welcome, supported, and safe is a core identity of the university and a responsibility it takes very seriously. Khalil, an Algerian national born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, has emerged as a significant figure associated with the crackdown on pro-Palestinian student protests in the United States, following his arrest by U.S. immigration officials in March 2025 in the lobby of his university residence hall.
The lawsuit arises amidst ongoing discussions within U.S. universities regarding protests over the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. This conflict prominently unfolded at Columbia University, where opinions were divided between supporters of the demonstrators and students and staff who reported feeling unsafe or considered certain activities as antisemitic.
The protests at Columbia led to widespread campus disruption, spurred the establishment of pro-Palestinian solidarity encampments across numerous U.S. universities, and were connected to the resignation of the university's president.