New York pair unveils COLUMBIA Act for college antisemitism monitoring
A bill introduced by New York legislators proposes the imposition of a third-party antisemitism monitor at colleges, prompted by issues at Columbia University. The COLUMBIA Act seeks to enhance accountability and bias investigations in higher education, with potential federal funding consequences for non-compliance. The act aims to address antisemitism and provide transparency through quarterly reports and policy recommendations.
A pair of New York lawmakers introduced a bill on Friday to impose a third-party antisemitism monitor at universities and colleges following the pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University that created a “hostile” environment for Jewish students.
Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) are sponsoring the College Oversight and Legal Updates Mandating Bias Investigations and Accountability, or COLUMBIA, Act that would impose third-party antisemitism monitors at collegiate institutions that receive federal funding. The monitor and its terms and conditions would be imposed by the education secretary, and the expenses to pay for the monitor would fall on the college or university selected.
Failure to comply with the monitorship would result in the loss of federal funds, according to a press release from Torres’s office.
“This past week’s crisis at Columbia is not an isolated incident — it is the straw that has broken the camel’s back — and I am prepared to do something about it,” Torres said in a statement. “That’s why I am introducing the COLUMBIA Act today, and I urge all of my colleagues in the House, from both parties, to join me in this crucial action.”
The monitor would release a publicly available online quarterly report that would evaluate the progress that a college or university has made toward combating antisemitism on campus. It would also make policy recommendations to Congress, the education secretary, and state and local regulators as needed.
“Jewish students have told my office that they feel completely abandoned by their university administrators and they view Congress as the only avenue for accountability and safety. Let’s honor our word to them and get this done,” Torres said.
The legislation comes after several New York Democrats and Republicans visited Columbia University this week as clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters led to President Minouche Shafik announcing a shift to virtual classes on Monday, the beginning of Passover, due to the high levels of campus unrest.
Several New York Republicans, as well as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), called for Shafik to step down while speaking to reporters on the steps of the university on Wednesday. Lawler said at the time that Shafik should “resign in disgrace.”
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“Rising antisemitism on our college campuses is a major concern and we must act to ensure the safety of students,” Lawler said in a statement announcing the COLUMBIA Act. “I’m proud to work with my friend and colleague Ritchie Torres on legislation that will impose a third-party antisemitism monitor on college campuses to ensure protections are in place and oversee any troubling action by college administrators. If colleges will not step up to protect their students, Congress must act.”
The House Rules Committee is planning to meet on Monday to take up a vote on the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023, which was introduced by Lawler. It would require the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws on college campuses.
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