Columbia University’s ad hoc investigation of allegations from dozens of students that they were intimidated by teachers either for their pro-Israel advocacy or for being Jewish denied the existence of such a problem.
“We found no evidence of any statements made by the faculty that could reasonably be construed as anti-Semitic,” the report said. “Many of the matters brought before us did not, in our opinion, constitute the basis for formal grievances but were issues that warranted sympathetic hearing and an appropriate university response.”
“In general,” the investigating committee concluded, “what we believe is most needed at this point are not further formal rules or regulations...We need to reaffirm that sense of collective responsibility which is vital for the well-being of every community of scholars, and to nurture the mutual respect required to sustain us in our common quest for the promotion of learning and the advancement of knowledge.”
Dr. Charles Jacobs, president of The David Project, which produced a film about the case, slammed the report as a “disgrace.”
“We expected a biased report from this biased committee, which is composed of friends and colleagues – and even a thesis adviser – of the professors they were supposed to investigate,” Jacobs said. “But their report is disgraceful beyond our expectation.”
Jacobs said that the Columbia report only acknowledged three incidents of harassment, though he claimed there were many more. “It tries to turn the tables on the complaining students and blames them for harassing their professors; it takes aim at whistleblowers on the faculty who help students report abuse by other professors.”
