Barnard Expels Two Students Over Disruption of Columbia Class on Israel

The expulsions follow a protest involving antisemitic imagery and calls for action against Zionism during a Columbia University course.

Two Barnard College seniors were expelled for disrupting a Columbia University class on the 'History of Modern Israel' with a pro-Palestinian protest in January.
Protesters entered the classroom shouting 'Free Palestine,' banging drums, and distributing flyers with antisemitic imagery, including a boot stomping on a Star of David.
A Columbia University student involved in the protest was suspended and barred from campus, while Barnard's decision marks the first expulsions tied to anti-Israel protests at the institution.
Barnard President Laura Rosenbury defended the expulsions, citing the need to uphold community safety, respect, and academic integrity, while rejecting harassment and discrimination.
The pro-Palestinian student group Columbia University Apartheid Divest criticized the disciplinary actions as a crackdown on activism and announced plans for further protests this week.