Columbia professor suspended for ‘harassment’ of faculty

Columbia suspends professor Shai Davidai for alleged ‘intimidation’ of staff during protests, while Davidai claims the school is ‘silencing’ his pro-Israel stance

Citing allegations of harassment against fellow faculty members, Columbia University has temporarily suspended professor Shai Davidai.

University spokesperson Millie Wert wrote in a statement Tuesday that Davidai (photo) “repeatedly harassed and intimidated by University employees in violation of University policy,” said The Columbia Spectator.

“Columbia has consistently and continuously respected Assistant Professor Davidai’s right to freedom of speech and expression of opinion. His freedom of expression has not been restricted and will not be restricted now,” Wert said.

In a letter to Davidai’s attorney, the school said the assistant professor has been temporarily banned from school grounds for violating school policy by harassing five faculty members. The New York Post.

The harassment allegedly occurred in a video posted to X, in which Davidai tells Deputy Public Safety Director Bobby Lau that he is “a useless administrator.”

“But you know what, there were so many useless administrators in Nazi Germany, and you know what? After the war, they said they had done everything they could, Davidai said.

He also criticized Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway as “indifferent” in another video.

“You’re the Chief Operating Officer of Columbia. Do you realize that?” Davidai said.

“You have to do your job. And I won’t let you rest if they don’t let us rest. You have Israeli students crying,” he said.

The videos were taken during the Apartheid Repulsion strike on campus on October 7.

Wert said that although Davidai cannot enter campus, his status as a faculty member will not be affected, according to the Spectator.

His suspension will end when he “completes appropriate training on our policies regarding the conduct of our employees,” Wert said.

Davidai told the Spectator the school is trying to “silence” Jews, and he will “only complete the training if Cas Holloway completes it with (him).”

“The only person suspended from campus is the Jewish professor who spoke out against the protests,” Davidai said.

“Think about all the professors, all they’ve done. You know, people who have said and posted horrible things, and yet I’m the only one who’s been suspended,” he said.

Davidai posted a video to Instagram on Tuesday questioning the school’s decision Spectator. However, it appears that the video has since been removed.

The university lecturer said: “The university has decided that I am no longer allowed to be on campus. My job. Why? Because of October 7.”

“Because I wasn’t afraid to stand up to the hateful crowd. And because I wasn’t afraid to expose that damn Cas Holloway,” he said.

MORE: Columbia president says ‘sorry’ for police in encampments

IMAGE: Andrea Falche Dominicci/X

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