On Tuesday, January 20, a Columbia student was targeted with antisemitic slurs by a non-affiliate as they were leaving a JTS building near campus. The student reported the incident and Columbia Public Safety has been working with JTS to investigate. The University moved swiftly to ensure the student was supported and facilitated the notification of local law enforcement.
Recent incidents of harassment targeting members of our community based on their identity – including the January 20 incident of antisemitism – are deeply disturbing, unacceptable and antithetical to our values. When incidents occur outside our gates, it does not lessen how troubling these acts are, or the impact on our students or community members at a time of nationwide tension. We want to remind students, faculty, and staff of the support available to them, including counseling and pastoral care, and public safety resources. We should also always be aware of our surroundings as we engage in daily activities off campus, and we encourage all our community members to report these types of incidents to Public Safety so they can provide appropriate support and refer incidents to local law enforcement for further investigation.
