Protect Our Campus Raises Concerns Over Columbia University’s Ongoing Enforcement Failures Following Antisemitism Settlement
New enforcement data, internal reports, and settlement disclosures raise continued questions about compliance, oversight, and student safety
New York, NY — February 1, 2026 — Protect Our Campus is raising renewed concerns following recent disclosures showing that Columbia University has repeatedly documented antisemitism and campus misconduct while taking limited disciplinary action, even after entering into a $221 million federal settlement intended to address those failures.
Protect Our Campus notes that this is no longer a matter of isolated incidents or administrative delay. The pattern is measurable, ongoing, and reflected in the university’s own reports.
In January 2026, Columbia disclosed enforcement data indicating that 108 demonstrations took place during the past academic year, yet only five resulted in formal disciplinary charges. This disparity highlights a persistent gap between documentation and enforcement that continues to raise concerns about how university policies are being applied in practice.
Protect Our Campus has documented that demonstrations repeatedly violating university rules were allowed to proceed with minimal intervention, even as protest rhetoric escalated. Over the past year, the organization observed that many major protests included explicit or implicit praise for Hamas through chants, symbols, or organized messaging that minimized or denied civilian harm. Protect Our Campus emphasizes that such rhetoric was not peripheral, but often central to the demonstrations themselves.
Warnings Issued Before Federal Intervention
Protect Our Campus notes that these concerns were not unforeseen. In November 2023, amid rising reports of antisemitism and increased federal Title VI scrutiny, Columbia convened an Antisemitism Task Force. Its fourth and final report, released in December 2025, concluded that Jewish and Israeli students, as well as those perceived to support them, were experiencing a hostile educational environment. According to the Task Force, antisemitism at Columbia was not limited to isolated incidents or interpersonal conflict, but appeared in classroom practices, departmental cultures, and repeated administrative failures to intervene.
Jewish students reported being singled out or silenced in academic settings, particularly in programs related to Middle East studies. The report described classrooms where certain political positions were treated as settled conclusions rather than subjects for inquiry, and where dissent carried social or academic consequences.
The Task Force emphasized that these issues were known to the administration and raised repeatedly through formal channels. Its findings pointed to a gap between documented concerns and enforcement actions, a conclusion Protect Our Campus says is now reflected in Columbia’s own enforcement data.
Settlement and Oversight Questions
Last summer, Columbia reached a $221 million settlement with the federal government to resolve allegations of antisemitism on campus. The agreement included a $200 million fine, a $21 million resolution with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the appointment of an independent federal monitor tasked with overseeing compliance and reporting to the Department of Justice.
At the time, the settlement was widely viewed as a significant step toward accountability. Recent developments, however, have raised questions about how those commitments are being implemented.
As part of the settlement, Columbia accepted a federal monitorship to assess compliance. The original monitor, Bart M. Schwartz, reportedly encountered difficulties obtaining key documentation related to antisemitism and DEI policies across multiple schools and requested additional data to evaluate enforcement. Columbia later cited disagreements over scope and budget, and in January, with Department of Justice approval, Schwartz was replaced by Charles J. Cooper.
Protect Our Campus notes that the monitor transition has drawn attention to questions of continuity and oversight, particularly given the Task Force’s earlier findings regarding enforcement gaps
Complaints Continue
Students and advisers have reported that antisemitism complaints continue to be filed with Columbia’s Office of Institutional Equity, often with limited follow-up. Complainants are typically told their cases are being prioritized, but advisers report that resolution is frequently delayed or unclear.
In the same month Columbia released its enforcement data, Jewish students reported an incident of antisemitic harassment near campus. According to student groups, communication regarding the incident came from Hillel, while the university administration did not issue a campus-wide alert or public statement.
Protect Our Campus emphasizes that documenting harm without enforcing standards creates uncertainty for students and undermines confidence in institutional protections.
Looking Ahead
Columbia University has produced extensive reports, data, and disclosures related to antisemitism on campus. Protect Our Campus acknowledges the scope of that documentation, but stresses that the effectiveness of any response ultimately depends on enforcement and implementation.
The question, Protect Our Campus says, is no longer whether the university understands the problem. Its own reports and disclosures indicate that it does.
The question is whether enforcement will align with those findings.
Protect Our Campus will continue to monitor developments, review public disclosures, and advocate for accountability measures that ensure universities meet their legal obligations and protect all students’ right to a safe and nondiscriminatory educational environment.
For more information, visit https://protect-our-campus.com/
About Protect Our Campus
Protect Our Campus is a non-partisan advocacy organization focused on documenting antisemitism, extremism, and institutional failures at U.S. universities, and promoting accountability, transparency, and student safety through research and public reporting.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Anna Miller
Protect Our Campus
info@protect-our-campus.com
https://protect-our-campus.com/
