Columbia University president resigns after months of pressure over handling of campus antisemitism

Columbia University’s embattled president has resigned following heavy criticism for her handling of anti-Israel protests that disrupted classes and put Jewish students in fear.

Minouche Shafik announced her resignation Wednesday, the Associated Press reported, after leading the prestigious Ivy League school in New York for slightly more than a year. Hers was one of the shortest tenures for a president in school history.

The Manhattan-based school was rocked this year by pro-Palestine protests and antisemitism, with a swarm of police officers required at one point to forcefully enter a building taken over by agitators. Columbia was of many universities to face such unrest following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel last year.

The Ivy League school in upper Manhattan was roiled this year by student demonstrations, culminating in scenes of police officers carrying zip ties and riot shields storming a building that had been occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters. Similar protests swept college campuses nationwide, with many leading to violent clashes with police and thousands of arrests.

Shafik was among the university leaders called for questioning before Congress earlier this year. She was heavily criticized by Republicans who accused her of not doing enough to combat concerns about antisemitism on Columbia’s campus.

“The anti-Israel mobs that have taken over Columbia University in New York City are as disturbing as they are un-American,” U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, said in a letter in April. “Jewish students no longer feel safe on Columbia’s campus given the persistent threats of violence. One student was assaulted by a pro-Hamas demonstrator over the weekend. This is not a peaceful demonstration supporting a social or civil cause.” 

Scott has, along with U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, introduced the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, which would end federal funding for colleges and universities “that support, authorize, or facilitate events that promote antisemitism.” 

Shafik’s resignation comes just weeks before classes start on Sept. 3. The university on Monday began restricting campus access to people with Columbia IDs and registered guests, the AP reported, saying it wanted to curb “potential disruptions” as the new semester nears. 

Her announcement also comes just days after the school confirmed that three deans had resigned after officials said they exchanged disparaging texts during a campus discussion about Jewish life and antisemitism.