Columbia’s Time’s Up: Disgraced Dem Attorney Kaplan Now Represents Ivy League School in Anti-Semitism Case
The Democratic Superlawyer Defending Columbia University Against Anti-Semitism Lawsuit
The Democratic superlawyer who resigned in disgrace from the #MeToo organization Time’s Up after helping former New York governor Andrew Cuomo (D.) discredit his accusers is now defending Columbia University against a lawsuit alleging that it fosters a pervasive culture of anti-Semitism.
Roberta Kaplan filed notice last month to represent Columbia and its sister college, Barnard, against lawsuits that accuse school leaders of enabling an “antisemitic hostile educational environment” in the wake of Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel.
Students Against Antisemitism and a group of five Columbia students allege that school leaders have turned a blind eye as anti-Semitic activists have physically assaulted, “spat at,” and threatened Jewish and Israeli students. Columbia student Mackenzie Forrest sued the school and its president, alleging she was forced out of the Columbia School of Social Work “simply because she is Jewish.”
The lawsuit pits Kaplan, a longtime Democratic Party operative who has portrayed herself as a civil rights activist, against Jewish students on campus who say their civil rights have been violated.
Kaplan resigned from Time’s Up in August 2021 after the New York attorney general’s office revealed that she advised Cuomo on an op-ed that smeared a former employee, Lindsey Boylan, who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. Time’s Up staff members accused Kaplan and her cofounder, longtime Democratic operative Tina Tchen, of “failing” sexual abuse survivors.
Kaplan also represented Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa during the New York attorney general’s probe into Cuomo’s behavior. Investigators identified DeRosa as a mastermind behind the effort to smear Cuomo’s accusers.
Democrats consider Kaplan a civil rights icon for her work on the Supreme Court case to legalize gay marriage. She also represented writer E. Jean Carroll in an $83 million defamation lawsuit against former president Donald Trump.
Kaplan, who touts a “social action” award from the National Council of Jewish Women, has not issued a formal response to Jewish students suing Columbia. In a Feb. 23 filing, she referred to the “allegedly antisemitic conduct” at Columbia and requested that both lawsuits be transferred to the docket of District Court judge Paul Oetken. Two attorneys at Kaplan’s firm have clerked for Oetken, an Obama appointee.
The lawsuits lay out several examples of anti-Israel groups and faculty members praising Hamas’s attack on the Jewish state.
According to the lawsuit filed by Students Against Antisemitism, Columbia law professor Katherine Franke has called on the school to ban Israeli students and bragged in November 2023 that she helped shut down a New York City tunnel to protest “genocide in Gaza.” After Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, Franke penned an open letter that called the terrorist attack “a military response by a people who had endured crushing and unrelenting state violence from an occupying power over many years,” the Washington Free Beacon reported.
The lawsuit cites the pro-Hamas and anti-Semitic rhetoric of Joseph Massad, a professor of Arab politics. Massad hailed the Hamas attacks as “awesome” and touted Hamas’s use of motorized paragliders as a feat of “innovative Palestinian resistance.” He allegedly asked a Columbia student who served in the Israel Defense Forces “how many Palestinians that student had killed.”
Columbia’s inaction toward Massad has stoked blowback at the school. Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman vowed last year to cut off donations to the school over its failure to fire Massad.
Columbia and Kaplan’s law firm did not respond to requests for comment.
Published under:
- #MeToo
- Andrew Cuomo
- Anti-Semitism
- Civil Rights Act
- Columbia University
- Democratic Party
- Hamas
- Israel
- Jewish Community
- Lawsuit
- Terror Attack
- Time’s Up
How might Kaplan’s role in representing the university against allegations of fostering an anti-Semitic culture impact her reputation as a civil rights activist
Tudent, who had expressed support for Israel, if he would like to “see how it feels to be bombed.” The lawsuit argues that these statements, along with others made by faculty and student groups, contribute to a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students at Columbia University.
In response to the lawsuit, Roberta Kaplan, known for her advocacy work on civil rights issues, has stepped in to defend Columbia University. Kaplan’s involvement in the case may be seen as controversial, considering her recent resignation from the #MeToo organization Time’s Up after her involvement in helping former Governor Andrew Cuomo discredit his accusers came to light.
Kaplan’s resignation from Time’s Up was prompted by the revelation that she had advised Cuomo on an op-ed that smeared Lindsey Boylan, a former employee who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. Members of Time’s Up staff accused Kaplan and her co-founder, Tina Tchen, of failing sexual abuse survivors. Kaplan also represented Melissa DeRosa, a Cuomo aide, during the New York attorney general’s probe into Cuomo’s behavior, where DeRosa was identified as a mastermind behind the effort to smear Cuomo’s accusers.
Despite the controversy surrounding Kaplan, she has been widely revered within Democratic circles for her work on the Supreme Court case to legalize gay marriage and her representation of writer E. Jean Carroll in a defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump.
Kaplan has yet to issue a formal response to the lawsuits filed against Columbia University by Jewish students, which allege a failure by school leaders to address and prevent anti-Semitic incidents on campus. In a filing last month, Kaplan referred to the “allegedly antisemitic conduct” at Columbia and requested that both lawsuits be transferred to District Court judge Paul Oetken, whom two attorneys at Kaplan’s firm have clerked for.
The lawsuits cite several examples of anti-Israel groups and faculty members at Columbia University who have praised Hamas’s attack on Israel and made anti-Semitic remarks. For instance, the lawsuit highlights statements made by Columbia law professor Katherine Franke, who called for the school to ban Israeli students and boasted about her role in shutting down a New York City tunnel to protest “genocide in Gaza.”
Another faculty member mentioned in the lawsuit is Joseph Massad, a professor of Arab politics, who allegedly praised the Hamas attacks as ”awesome” and celebrated their use of motorized paragliders as an innovative form of resistance. Massad reportedly confronted a student who expressed support for Israel, asking if he would like to experience being bombed.
The lawsuits argue that the rhetoric and actions of these individuals contribute to a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students at Columbia University. Kaplan’s role in defending the university against these allegations raises questions about the alignment of her values as a civil rights activist and her representation of a university accused of fostering an anti-Semitic culture.
As the case unfolds, it remains to be seen how Kaplan and her defense team will respond to the allegations made by Jewish students at Columbia University and whether their claims will be addressed and rectified. The lawsuit serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle to combat anti-Semitism and protect the civil rights of all individuals on college campuses.
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