13 U.S. federal judges are taking a stance against Columbia University in New York City for its handling of campus protests. In a letter on Monday, May 6, the judges vowed not to hire any future students from Columbia University beginning with the 2024 freshman class.
The judges expressed their loss of confidence in the institution, labeling the school an “incubator of bigotry.” The judges cited what they saw as a surge in disruptions, antisemitism and hatred for diverse viewpoints on campuses nationwide since October.
The judges laid out three demands for the university to reclaim its reputation. They insisted the university implement serious consequences for people involved in campus disruptions, neutrality when protecting free speech and diversifying viewpoints among faculty and staff. The letter concluded by saying the objective of the boycott “is not to hamper academic freedom, but to restore it at Columbia University.”
Demonstrations against Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza spread to dozens of universities across the country, leading to clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters. At Columbia, an encampment formed on the main campus. Then, protestors temporarily occupied a campus building last week. That occupation led to more than 100 arrests by the New York Police Department.
The 13 judges, all of whom were appointed by former President Donald Trump, are part of a larger body of nearly 900 federal judges. Their annual hiring for prestigious clerkships adds weight to their boycott.
The judges boycott drew mixed reactions. The president of the Legal Insurrection Foundation and founder of EqualProtect.org told Fox News Digital that he questioned judicial involvement in matters outside the courtroom but agreed with the judges on substance.
“My view is that we shouldn’t threaten innocent neutrals as a means of influencing the culpable,” UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh wrote in an opinion article on Reason.
Columbia University has not responded to the letter yet.
