Demonstrators were at the pro-Palestinian camp of Columbia University before being demolished by NYPD. Charley Triball eau/AFP/Getty Images new york CNN On Monday, the judges wrote to Minouche Shafik, president of Columbia University, and Gillian Lester, dean of Columbia University Law School, outlining their positions and describing the Manhattan campus as "the explosion point of student riots, anti-Semitism and hatred of different views on campuses across the country".
Columbia University has become the center of protests against the Gaza War, and protests have spread to dozens of campuses across the country. Last week, at the request of the university, the new york Police Department was asked to dismantle the camp set up by demonstrators on the school playground, resulting in hundreds of arrests. The police also cleared the protesters who occupied the campus building.
"As a judge who employs paralegals to serve the federal judiciary every year, we have lost confidence in Columbia University as a higher education institution. Colombia has become a hotbed of prejudice. Therefore, Columbia University has lost the qualification to train the future leaders of our country, "the letter wrote.
On April 30, 2024, in Providence, Rhode Island, pro-Palestinian students celebrated an agreement with the management of Brown University and ended their camp. On April 28th, the White House insisted that the pro-Palestinian protests that rocked American universities in recent weeks must be kept peaceful, after the police arrested about 275 people on four different campuses over the weekend. (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP) (Photo by Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images) Related articles Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images The camping activities of Columbia University ended with a large-scale police operation. Here's how some schools avoid this situation. The letter was shared with CNN by Judge James C. Ho, the circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He was one of the three main signatories, including Judge Elizabeth L. Branch, the circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and Judge Matthew H. Solomson of the U.S. Federal Claims Court.
CNN has contacted Columbia University for comment.
The judges who signed this letter were all appointed by former President Donald Trump and mainly worked in Texas. This list includes Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who works in the northern part of Texas in Amarillo and specifically issued an order to prevent the wider use of mifepristone. The Supreme Court finally heard this decision in March last year.
Federal judges have a great influence on a person's legal career, especially when they enter this field. They usually hire law school graduates as staff, and eventually they can get well-paid and prestigious jobs.
In their letter, the judge also outlined a series of measures that universities should take, including suggesting "serious consequences" for students and teachers involved in campus sabotage.
Columbia University has a rich history of student protests. Over the years, it has included different degrees of destruction, including the occupation of school buildings. Last week, students occupied Hamilton Hall, which eventually led to the arrest of dozens of people.
The judges also wrote that illegal invasion and occupation of public places is a sufficient basis for imprisonment.
"Universities should also identify students who have such behaviors, so that future employers can avoid hiring them. Otherwise, employers will be forced to take risks, and anyone they hire from Columbia University may be one of these destructive and hateful students, "the judge wrote.