In a recent development at Columbia University, three associate deans have been placed on administrative leave in the wake of a scandal involving antisemitic text messages.
The Daily Caller reports that the deans, Susan Chang-Kim, Matthew Patashnick, and Cristen Kromm, have come under fire after screenshots of their group chat, which contained dismissive remarks and vomit emojis about an antisemitism panel, were widely shared online. The incident has even drawn the attention of Congress.
The text exchange took place on May 31 during a panel discussion at the university's College alumni reunion, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon. One of the texts from Chang-Kim to Josef Sorett, the dean of Columbia University who was also part of the chat, read: This is difficult to listen to but Im trying to keep an open mind to learn about this point of view. Sorett simply responded, Yup.
Despite his participation in the controversial exchange, Sorett has not been placed on leave. However, he has pledged to use this incident and others over the past year as learning experiences to foster a community of respect and healthy dialogue, according to the Free Beacon.
The incident has sparked a reaction from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which has called on Columbia to release the text messages from the implicated deans. The committee's chair, Republican North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx, expressed her disappointment in the situation. I was appalled, but sadly not surprised, to learn Columbia administrators exchanged disparaging text messages during a panel that discussed antisemitism at the University, Foxx said.
In response to the incident, a spokesperson for Columbia University reaffirmed the institution's commitment to fighting antisemitism. We are committed to taking sustained, concrete action to ensure Columbia is a campus where Jewish students and everyone in our community feels safe, valued, and able to thrive, the spokesperson told Fox News.
This incident underscores the ongoing struggle against antisemitism in educational institutions and the need for a more respectful and inclusive dialogue. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of holding those in positions of authority accountable for their actions, particularly when they undermine the values of the institutions they represent.
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