Columbia Law Professor Resigns, Citing Repression of Pro-Palestinian Advocacy
A Columbia University law professor, Katherine Franke, has announced her departure after 25 years, stating that she was effectively “terminated” due to a hostile environment surrounding pro-Palestinian advocacy, Al Jazeera reports.
Franke, a tenured professor, claims the university administration created an atmosphere where open debate about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is stifled.
In a statement released Thursday, Franke described her departure, which the university is calling a “retirement,” as a forced resignation.
“I have come to the view that the Columbia University administration has created such a toxic and hostile environment for legitimate debate around the war in Israel and Palestine that I can no longer teach or conduct research,” she said.
Franke’s resignation comes amid heightened tensions on campus following pro-Palestinian protests last spring, where students called for the university to divest from Israel and demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. These protests, which spread to other universities across the country, drew criticism from some who argued that the administration was suppressing free speech.
The situation intensified for Franke following her comments in a January interview where she expressed concerns about Columbia’s graduate programs’ relationship with countries, including Israel. She noted that some Israeli students arriving at Columbia had recently completed military service, which she said had led to the harassment of Palestinian and other students on campus.
Following this statement, a complaint was filed against Franke by two of her colleagues alleging “discriminatory harassment” and an investigation was launched. The matter took a turn in April when Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, during a Congressional hearing, incorrectly attributed a quote to Franke implying that all Israeli students who served in the military were “dangerous”. According to Franke, then-Columbia President Minouche Shafik did not correct this mischaracterization but instead agreed that her comments were “completely unacceptable and discriminatory.”
Franke said she faced harassment and death threats following the congressional hearing and felt that the university failed to defend her. An external law firm subsequently concluded her comments violated the university’s Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action policies, which she is now appealing.
Franke’s departure has drawn widespread condemnation from academics, lawyers, and activists. Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, called Franke “another victim of the pro-Israelism that is turning universities, and other spaces of public life, into places of obscurantism, discrimination, and oppression.”
Rutgers University Professor and human rights lawyer Noura Erakat called the university’s treatment of Franke “egregious,” sayig that she resigned “because she decided there is nothing to return to – it is far too hostile.” Todd Wolfson, the president of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), described Columbia’s actions as “truly shameful” and pledged the AAUP’s support. The Center for Constitutional Rights called the resignation “an egregious attack on both academic freedom and Palestinian rights advocacy.”
Columbia University spokesperson Samantha Slater said that the university investigated a complaint filed against Franke alleging discriminatory harassment and issued a finding. However, Franke argues that Columbia’s actions demonstrate a “willingness to collaborate with the very enemies of our academic mission,” suggesting the university is prioritizing political pressure over free speech and critical debate.
