Outspoken Columbia enterprise professor Shai Davidai was banned from campus after he clashed with rowdy anti-Israel protesters and confronted faculty officers final week throughout the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ lethal Oct. 7 assault on the Jewish state.
The Ivy League faculty despatched Davidai’s lawyer a letter stating that the professor’s entry to high school grounds was reduce off as of three p.m. Tuesday as a result of Columbia leaders claimed he harassed a minimum of 5 college members throughout the raucous scene, violating faculty guidelines.
“Threats of intimidation, harassment or different threatening conduct by College staff, together with college members, won’t be tolerated,” the college stated within the letter that Davidai offered to The Put up.
The Israeli native, who’s conducting analysis and never instructing this semester, just isn’t suspended and may return to campus after he completes office conduct coaching and complies with faculty coverage, Columbia stated in its letter.
He can nonetheless advise college students remotely, the college acknowledged.
College officers cited movies taken by Davidai and posted on social media that confirmed him difficult faculty leaders to rein in raucous anti-Israel demonstrators to no avail as he got here face-to-face with some keffiyeh-clad college students.
In a single video, he and Patrick Oakley, a prime faculty public security official, went forwards and backwards with Davidai showing to select up Oakley’s ID badge round his neck to get a greater look of it.
“They blocked my motion and also you’re not doing something,” Davidai stated of the protesters, with Oakley insisting, “No, you’re strolling into them.”
“You’re not conserving Jews secure,” Davidai shot again.
Davidai, who’s taught at Columbia for 5 years, informed The Put up Tuesday night time the college’s motion is “nothing however retaliation.”
“It broke me,” he admitted. “It reveals how Columbia is run by petty people.”
He stated claims that he harassed or intimidated faculty officers are “loopy,” whereas arguing the Ivy League faculty hasn’t leveled the identical self-discipline towards anti-Israel college students and college that espouse violence towards the Jewish state.
“It’s hypocrisy to the nth diploma,” he stated.
“There are professors who both participated in or taught within the encampment,” he stated. “Not a single professor has been fired or suspended since October 7 for antisemitism and assist of terrorism.”
That features controversial professor Joseph Massad, who known as the Oct. 7 bloodbath “superior” the next day.
“He’s by no means been suspended from something,” stated Davidai.
Davidai additionally blasted the college on a social media video, directing most of his ire towards Columbia’s Chief Working Officer Cas Holloway, who he stated may “go f—ok himself.”
He stated he was imagined to be on campus on Tuesday for an Oct. 7 memorial organized by Jewish college students earlier than his lawyer knowledgeable him of the college’s ban.
“It’s surprising that after all the things that has occurred, together with the resignation of its president, the Columbia College management continues to silence and penalize its Jewish and Israeli neighborhood members whereas defending pro-terror teams,” Davidai’s legal professional Mark Lerner informed The Put up.
The college has confronted a lot upheaval during the last yr, together with anti-Israel protesters that occupied a faculty constructing and arrange an encampment on the campus inexperienced.
Former president Minouche Shafik all of a sudden stepped down over the summer time.
Davidai has admittedly been an outspoken staffer, criticizing the college for not doing extra to guard Jewish college students throughout anti-Israel demonstrations.
“I’m feeling damaged,” he stated Tuesday, however careworn, “I’m not stopping the battle – as a result of it’s not about me.”
“I’m not a provocateur. My objective is to not provoke or get a response – it’s to get change going,” he added.
