Claire Shipman, recently appointed president of Columbia University, previously referred to Congressional hearings on antisemitism as 'Capitol Hill nonsense.' These hearings involved leaders from several universities regarding campus protests over the Gaza conflict. Shipman's texts revealed her views on the hearings and plans to reinstate student protest groups. Concerns about the university's handling of protests have led to the resignations of two presidents in less than a year, reflecting ongoing tensions regarding free speech and campus policies in response to external pressures.
In a Dec. 28, 2023, text message, Shipman wrote to then university president Minouche Shafik she thought Columbia would be spared from the 'capital hill nonsense,' referring to December 2023 Congressional hearings that saw the presidents of Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania and MIT testify about campus protests against the war in Gaza.
Shipman's text messages about the hearings were revealed in a 325-page October report from the Republican House Committee on Education and the Workforce that included leaked messages between university officials.
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