Columbia deans axed
Trio ousted over antisemitic texts
Three Columbia University deans have been “permanently removed” from their posts for sharing “very troubling” texts that included “ancient antisemitic tropes,” school officials said Monday.
Susan Chang-Kim, Matthew Patashnick and Cristen Kromm had already been on leave since last month, when it emerged they’d been involved in the disparaging text exchange that unfolded during a panel discussion about antisemitism on campus.
“This incident revealed behavior and sentiments that were not only unprofessional, but also disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes,” Columbia President Minouche Shafik said.
“These sentiments are unacceptable . . . conveying a lack of seriousness about the concerns and the experiences of members of our Jewish community that is antithetical to our university’s values.”
Provost Angela Olinto said that “the three staff members involved have been permanently removed from their positions at Columbia College and remain on leave at this time.” It is unclear what their status is on the staff.
Josef Sorett, another dean who was also involved in the text exchange, will remain in his post, but will publicly apologize for his role in the affair, Shafik added.
The developments come weeks after images of the group chat emerged publicly after being captured by an alumnus sitting in the audience during the May 31 panel about Jewish life on campus.
The group had exchanged the messages as speakers discussed the impact that rising antisemitism stoked by the IsraelHamas war has had on Jewish students and faculty.
In some of the texts, the administrators had accused Jewish students of asserting “privilege,” and mocked them for needing a place to “huddle” to avoid antisemitism and harassment on campus.
At one point, Chang-Kim wrote, “I’m going to throw up” when Orly Mishan, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, expressed fear about her daughter, a student, “hiding in plain sight” while student protesters embraced Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.