Columbia Coincidentally Rewrites Disciplinary Rules Just in Time to Screw Over Student Protesters
Just as summer vacation is getting underway, students at Columbia University in New York are left dealing with a raft of looming disciplinary charges from their participation in campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. But some students at the school said 11th-hour changes to disciplinary procedures are making it harder for students to defend themselves.
The May 29 CSSI message said that if students recruited a supporting person to accompany them to their hearings, accommodations could be made for them “outside of the hearing location or zoom breakout room,” with a five-minute break at the midpoint of hearings to consult with advocates. (CSSI did not respond to a request for comment.)
The law students raising the alarm about the message wrote, “No CSSI or University policy or precedent supports the prohibition of faculty advisors, deprivation of legal counsel, or arbitrary time limits on consultation with support persons.”
The letter also said the May 29 CSSI message required written statements to be submitted 24 hours before hearings, whereas CSSI’s own policies say statements can be submitted at or immediately after hearings.
