Barnard College expels activists who invaded class on Israeli history
The two students were expelled from the Columbia affiliate after they had invaded and disrupted a class about Israel.
Barnard College President Laura Rosenbury said: ‘When rules are broken, when there is no remorse, no reflection, and no willingness to change, we must act.’
Barnard College in New York City, an affiliate of Columbia University, recently kicked out two students from the school who invaded and temporarily occupied a class on Israeli history in January.
School President Laura Rosenbury explained her decision in a statement that a spokesperson shared with Campus Reform, saying that Barnard College is committed to “upholding the highest standards and acting when those standards are threatened,” and adding: “When rules are broken, when there is no remorse, no reflection, and no willingness to change, we must act.”
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She continued: “Expulsion is always an extraordinary measure, but so too is our commitment to respect, inclusion, and the integrity of the academic experience. At Barnard, we always fiercely defend our values. At Barnard, we always reject harassment and discrimination in all forms. And at Barnard, we always do what is right, not what is easy.”
One student expressed joy regarding the expulsion of the disruptive students, stating that he was “extremely happy,” as he told Jewish Insider.
The students in question were part of a group that invaded a class about the “History of Modern Israel” on Jan. 21 at Columbia University. The activists disrupted the class and spread out anti-Israel propaganda flyers throughout the class, continuously ignoring the professor, who asked them to desist.
It’s day 1 of Prof. @shilonavi History of Modern Israel @Columbia and masked protestors just barged in to intimidate and disrupt. So much for “academic freedom.”
Welcome to Columbia, 2025! pic.twitter.com/S6GbzKFqut— Elisha (Lishi) Baker (@LishiBaker) January 21, 2025
In response to the protesters’ actions, Columbia University placed security officers around campus to prevent similar occurrences at other classes dealing with Israel.
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Columbia University also condemned the activists’ actions and announced that it had suspended one of those involved.
Campus Reform has reached out to Barnard College for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
