Columbia University suspends one student as it expedites investigation into Israeli history class disruption

Columbia University says it has suspended one student after “expediting” its investigation into a group who disrupted a class on Israeli history.

Demonstrators handed out flyers with “violent imagery” to students attending a History of Modern Israel class on Tuesday, the university said in a statement.

Columbia said it identified and suspended one student involved, pending a full review, and that its investigation remains active. University officials have not released the student’s identity.

It was the first day of Professor Avi Shilon’s class, and students had only just been introduced to the course when protesters – whose faces were covered and appeared to be wearing keffiyehs, a traditional Middle Eastern scarf often identified as a symbol of Palestinian identity – entered and distributed anti-Israel leaflets, student Elisha Baker told CNN.

One flyer shows a burning Israeli flag underneath the words “Burn Zionism to the Ground,” and another depicts a large black boot about to stomp on the Jewish Star of David and reads “Crush Zionism,” according to pictures taken by Baker.

“It was shocking for everyone in the class,” said Baker, a junior studying Middle Eastern history. “I’m still super excited for this class. It’s a shame that this incident is going to put us on edge inside the classroom.”

Four protesters remained in the classroom for around five minutes before leaving, student Orri Zussman told CNN. Campus security arrived shortly after the protesters left and began receiving information from students on what occurred, as well as photos and videos of the incident.

As a result of the interruption, Columbia previously said it was intensifying its investigative efforts to identify the individuals involved as well as modifying its security measures. The school said it did not know if the demonstrators were students.

“No group of students has a right to disrupt another group of students in a Columbia classroom,” university interim president Katrina Armstrong said in a statement. “We want to be absolutely clear that any act of antisemitism, or other form of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation against members of our community is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Tuesday’s class disruption follows a years-long spate of high-profile incidents at Columbia’s campus in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza – just one of many protests that roiled universities across the country last year, disrupting academic life. Some Jewish and Muslim students said they were intimidated, harassed or physically assaulted, CNN previously reported.

At Columbia, following a tumultuous school year marked by protests, an encampment on school grounds, a building occupation and the mass arrest of more than 100 demonstrators, the university’s president resigned at the start of the fall semester in August. A week before, three deans resigned after they were removed from their posts over what the school labeled “very troubling” antisemitic text messages.

In October, nearly six months after Columbia banned a pro-Palestinian student activist who said on a social media video, “Zionists don’t deserve to live,” the coalition that had apologized on his behalf rescinded its statement of regret – and advocated for armed resistance against Israel. The university said in a statement it decried any calls for acts of violence.

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