Barnard expels two students for disrupting History of Modern Israel course at Columbia, heightens campus security
Barnard has announced additional campus security measures in response to a planned protest calling for reinstatement of the students.
Photography by Haley Scull/The Barnard Bulletin
February 25, 2025
On Saturday, February 22, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) announced on X that two Barnard students were expelled for their alleged involvement in disrupting the first day of a History of Modern Israel course at Columbia. In a video posted to Instagram by CUAD, protestors wearing keffiyehs distributed fliers and made statements against the course’s focus on Israeli history, taught by lecturer Avi Shilon.
In an email sent to the Barnard community two days after the disruption in January, President Laura Rosenbury stated that the administration “cannot and will not tolerate disruptions in academic spaces.” The incident, which took place on January 21, initially resulted in an interim suspension for the two students, prohibiting them from entering all Barnard facilities including classrooms, dining halls, and dormitories.
“When uninvited visitors enter classrooms with the intention of interfering with learning — let alone when they target specific courses, communities, or individuals — they betray the very principles of intellectual exchange that underpin our community,” Rosenbury wrote.
At Barnard, interim suspensions are imposed when a student “poses an ongoing threat of disruption of, or interference with, the normal operations of the College,” but proceeds with “the regular conduct process” for disciplinary action, according to the College’s Student Code of Conduct.
Since October 2023, Barnard and Columbia have refrained from expelling students involved in pro-Palestinian activism. However, Barnard previously suspended over 50 students for their participation in the April 2024 “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.”
CUAD claims that these are the first expulsions Barnard has made for pro-Palestinian student speech. One of the expelled students stated that their expulsion “completely shattered the illusion of what [they] thought Barnard stood for.” CUAD vowed to “continue the fight for divestment and amnesty for all students punished for their pro-Palestinian activism.”
Columbia University issued a statement on Monday, February 24 to reinforce the institution’s commitment to “ensuring that all our students feel welcome and have access to the exceptional education we provide without disruption or any form of discrimination.”
On Monday evening, CUAD made an Instagram post calling for a picket line to demand that Barnard reinstate the expelled students, which will take place on Thursday, February 27 at the 117th St Barnard gates.
The following morning, on Tuesday, February 25, Executive Vice President for Strategy and Chief Administrative Officer Kelli Murray sent an email to the Barnard community announcing the implementation of “additional temporary security measures over the next several days” in response to “statements circulating online about possible disruptions on campus.” These measures include ID requirements, unmasking requests, and potential bag searches.
Barnard College has yet to issue a statement about the expulsions.