Three deans resign from Columbia University – Telemundo New York (47)

NEW YORK — Three deans of the Columbia University resigned after exchanging defamatory text messages during a campus discussion about Jewish life and anti-Semitism, the school confirmed Thursday.

The appointments come a month after Columbia said it had removed administrators from their positions and would place them on indefinite leave. University President Minouche Shafik said in a July 8 letter to the school community that the messages were unprofessional and “deeply disturbing to long-standing anti-Semitic tropes.” “

“Whether it was intended or not, these feelings are unacceptable and deeply disturbing,” Shafik wrote.

The deans were first suspended after a conservative media group published images of what they said were text messages they exchanged while attending a May 31 panel discussion titled “Jewish Life on the Habitat: past, present and future. “

Columbia did not identify them, but their names were widely circulated in media reports.

The panel was held at an annual alumni event a month after university leaders called the police to clear anti-Palestinian protesters from an involved administration building and dismantle a tent camp that had threatened to disrupt graduation ceremonies.

The Washington Free Beacon obtained some of the private messages through someone who attended the event and took pictures of one of the deans’ phones.

Some included hurtful comments about people in the university community. One suggested that a panelist speaking on anti-Semitism intended to use it as a fundraising opportunity. Another disparaged a campus rabbi’s essay on anti-Semitism.

The administrators have not made any public comments since their trade was announced in June. Two of them – Cristen Kromm, former dean of undergraduate student life, and Matthew Patashnick, former associate dean for student and family support – did not immediately respond to phone messages seeking comment. The third, Susan Chang-Kim, could not be immediately reached.

House Education and Workforce Committee he has since released some of the messages.

Shafik has promised to launch “a robust anti-Semitism and anti-discrimination training program for faculty and staff” in the fall, as well as related training for students.