Campus

Did Columbia University Tell Jewish Student to Avoid Course by Anti-Zionist Professor?

Did Columbia University violate a student’s civil rights?

That’s something the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) would like to find out.

The Institute for Jewish and Community Research (IJCR) says the OCR has just accepted its request to investigate whether a Jewish student’s civil rights were violated this year when a campus advisor suggested she not take a course with the controversial Middle East studies Professor Joseph Massad.

At issue: was the student unlawfully “steered” away from registering for the class?

Kenneth L. Marcus of the IJCR reports:

In January, the student got some troubling guidance from Barnard’s [women’s college of Columbia] Middle East studies department chair. The young woman told the chair that she was interested in taking a course on the Arab world with Prof. Massad, who is notorious for his animosity towards Zionism. Massad, whether fairly or not, has been repeatedly accused of anti-Semitism. The chair looked at the young woman, whose Orthodox background is apparent in her modest attire. Then, as the student tells the story, the chair told her that she would not be “comfortable” in Massad’s class and that she should instead consider a course on Ancient Israel.

Marcus compares the case to past well-known civil rights violations against African Americans, leading to a new kind of segregation:

OCR has just agreed to open an investigation, at our request, as to whether the chair violated the Jewish student’s civil rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As we told OCR, what the Barnard chair did to the student is called “steering.” It is similar to what happens when a realtor tells a young African American couple that they would not be “comfortable” living in a particular white neighborhood and that they should look at a black neighborhood instead. This is illegal, regardless of whether the realtor was well-intentioned, because it is discriminatory. This is precisely what seems to be happening at Columbia. As we explained to OCR, “Columbia violates Title VI when it discourages Jewish students from pursuing coursework which may be important not only to their pursuit of the MEALAC [Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures] major but more broadly to their attainment of a broad understanding of the Middle East.

Marcus – who served as staff director at the United States Commission on Civil Rights — also points out all students are impacted when there is no diversity of opinion in the classroom:

This harms Jewish students by narrowing their range of study, but it also harms non-Jewish students by denying them the educational benefits which are said to flow from a multi-faceted student diversity.” Fortunately, OCR’s decision to investigate sends a strong signal that the federal government is looking seriously at such behavior.

He also points to the possibility of more serious violations hinted at by the Columbia advisor’s urging the Jewish student to stay away from Massad’s class:

The more pressing concern however, in both the Columbia example and the housing hypothetical, is whether the warning was correct. In other words, the big question is whether Massad is violating students’ rights too. This question was widely debated a few years ago in the wake of the documentary Columbia Unbecoming, which sparked an internal Columbia investigation as to whether his teaching was anti-Semitic. Although Massad was exonerated at the time by an ad hoc committee, some commentators looked upon the committee’s report as a whitewash. On the other hand, Massad’s defenders effectively reframed the issue as an attack on Massad’s academic freedom. Needless to say, however, academic freedom does not protect conduct towards any student which amounts to unlawful harassment.

The Blaze contacted the Barnard College media relations office by phone Tuesday morning. Its director, Sun Min, said they had received a number of inquiries about the story but didn’t have as yet any details to provide to the media. “We’re looking at the details right now,” she said.

Columbia University Faces Civil Rights Investigation | Jewish student steered away from course with Joseph Massad

Columbia University website photo

So who is Joseph Massad? According to one profile, this associate professor of Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History was born in Jordan but considers himself a Palestinian. He was the subject of the 2004 documentary Columbia Unbecoming in which some of his students claimed:

that Massad and other Columbia professors had intimidated or been unfair to them for their pro-Israel views. This eventually sparked the appointment of an Ad Hoc Grievance Committee by the university to investigate the complaints.

According to the Israeli blog, Israel Matzav, Prof. Massad told a student:

“If you’re going to deny the atrocities being committed against Palestinians, then you can get out of my classroom.”

On another occasion, Massad demanded that a student, a former Israeli soldier, tell him how many Palestinians he had killed.

Columbia appointed an “Ad Hoc Grievance Committee” which in 2005 “dismissed most of the allegations against Massad, writing in its report that it had “no basis for believing that Professor Massad systematically suppressed dissenting views in his classroom” and stated that they “found no evidence of any statements made by the faculty that could reasonably be construed as anti-semitic”” per Wikipedia, which explains the findings:

The committee found it credible that Massad was angered by a question in class from a student that he understood to be defending Israel’s conduct toward Palestinians and that his response “exceeded commonly accepted bounds by conveying that her question merited harsh public criticism” but it also described an environment of incivility, with pro-Israel students disrupting lectures on Middle Eastern studies.

Critics called it “a whitewash” and suggested the committee was biased as it included members with anti-Israel views and with personal connections to Massad. They were further incensed when Massad was granted tenure at Columbia. Massad is also signatory #321 of endorsers of the U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.

Israel Matzav describes some of his academic work:

In one article, he proclaimed that Jews are infected by a mass psychosis that drives them to persecute Palestinians, put Israel’s record on a par with Nazi mass murders and said Palestinians are the “real Jews” while Jews are the real anti-Semites.

This all comes on the heels of last month’s controversy involving plans for Columbia University students to dine with Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, not to mention back in 2007 when the university hosted Ahmadinejad for a speech on campus.

Clearly, the burden of proof is now on Columbia University to show it’s not segregating out of campus the opinions of its Jewish and Israel-supporting students.

Comments (69)

1 2
  • Dudley Do-Right
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:23pm

    This doesn’t surprise me in the least. It’s the same school that hired Edward Said, remember him? If my memory serves me right, Obama enrolled in his class when he attended Columbia. Said was later photographed throwing rocks at an Israeli soldier.

    Rashid Khalidi also taught there, I think his wife still does. The Khalidi‘s used to baby sit for Obama’s children. And who could forget the article the LA Times suppressed because it was an Israel bashing event for Khalidi. Obama was photographed sitting at a table with Edward Said.

    http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/226104/i-l-times-i-suppresses-obamas-khalidi-bash-tape/andrew-c-mccarthy

    Report Post »  
    • theonefromabove
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 4:09pm

      Well at least somebody was honest…

      http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos

      Report Post »  
    • Red_Bishop
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 5:00pm

      Wheres the proof that Obongo ever went to Columbia. I want to see the pictures.
      This POS only has old boyfriends coming out of the closet, you never hear about any old girlfriends in his sordid past.

      Report Post »  
    • Lucy Larue
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 6:13pm

      DUDLEY DO RIGHT,

      It is the “Peaceful Jihad”.
      It is chilling that President Dunham knows these people.
      The truth of the trouble this nation brought upon itself is there for ALL citizens to see.
      Yet….,so many ignore it.

      “We have met the enemy and He is Us.” POGO

      Report Post »  
    • loriann12
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 7:17pm

      My thought was she was being warned, not steared away. If there was a tenured teacher that no one could get rid of, even for racist views, or bigotry, because of the current atmosphere surrounding the teacher unions, I’d be tempted to warn someone, too. If I knew he was anti-semetic, I would find a way to tell a student, to make sure they felt they were strong enough for verbal attacks and had a body guard for the real hard cases.

      Report Post »  
    • Dudley Do-Right
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 8:09pm

      RED

      I posted a few links but my post was being moderated then disappeared. There are no pictures of the Khalidi-Israel bashing party that I know of. That was in 2003 and that‘s the party that the LA Times has video of but won’t publish.

      The pictures of Obama sitting with Edward Said were taken at another Arab fundraiser in 98. Use the picture function in Google with Obama and Said as keywords and they should pop right up.

      Use the same picture function with the keywords, Said and rock throwing and the picture of Said throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers should pop up too.

      For proof of Obama at Columbia, Google Andrew McCarthy, Obama and Columbia

      Report Post »  
    • CottonMPG
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 9:20pm

      I understand why “steering” could be a problem but I think instead of punishing the chair for warning this girl they ought to fire the professor for making people who are Jewish uncomfortable!!!! Apparently whatever he is doing is out of line or people wouldn’t feel they had to protect the students from him.

      Report Post » CottonMPG  
    • Polwatcher
      Posted on October 5, 2011 at 2:27pm

      I would think that a school could get rid of any employee that is so extreme that they are hurting the school. I think that Columbia University fully supports this Prof’s views.

      Report Post »  
  • NuffSaid
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:16pm

    BLAZE why are you not posting Breitbart’s photos of OBAMA at a Meeting of the BLACK PANTHERS?

    http://bigjournalism.com/jjmnolte/2011/10/03/msm-more-concerned-with-perrys-relationship-with-rock-than-obamas-racially-charged-past/

    The OBAMA Administration is a RACIST administration
    Remove the tyrant and his foul spawn!
    Sic Semper Tyrannis

    Report Post »  
    • biglipnagger
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:45pm

      I agree with you – those pictures need to be seen by as many people as possible.

      I am surprised the Blaze has not picked up on this story.

      Report Post » biglipnagger  
    • NHwinter
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:59pm

      Isn’t an advisor supposed to suggest what would be best for the student??? She was doing her job. She only suggested. She had the student’s welfare in mind. That means she was doing a very good job of advising. This stinks!

      Report Post » NHwinter  
    • doublezero12
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 2:05pm

      Beck and Breitbart had a falling out over the Sherrod case. Beck and his crew, I think, are probably being leery of anything posted at the Bigs. I don’t think Beck should be that leery of Breitbart, though, because he’s always proved right. I hope they start getting along and working together again.

      Report Post » doublezero12  
    • motonutt
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 2:20pm

      Let’s turn this around….what do we all think would happen if this was an islamic student and a christian professer? or a jewish professer….Gone in a heart beat.

      Report Post » motonutt  
    • ashestoashes
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 2:48pm

      Obama of course has connections to the Black Panthers. They were at the 2008 elections booths with baseball bats. Surely everyone knew that they weren’t there in support of Sarah Palin. What about the Muslim Brotherhood’s assassination of Anwar Sadat and Obama giving a speech at Cairo, with his protectors being concerned about the Brotherhood being there at Cairo and Obama said “Invite them.” Then toward the end of the speech he looks directly at them saying in Aramaic..”I am one of you.” Obama sees himself as establishing the caliphate over the whole world..him being their leader. He has been very successful in helping the Muslim Brotherhood take down all of our and Israel’s strongholds in the world. If you don’t know about agenda 21..you need to start checking into it. Clinton drafted an agreement with NAFTA years ago. In Missisisspi., when the flooding started, they blew up the leviis flooding the farmland with salt water rendering the farmland useless. They plan to destroy our agriculture..our people. Obama’s got his own agenda and that is Islam. NWO and Islam are permeated throughout our government..A strict Constitutionalist who supports Israel will do no good unless we clean out the rest of the government. and replace them with true Yashuah/God fearing constitutionals I don’t know that this is possible.

      Report Post »  
  • herekittykitty
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:14pm

    Frankly – big deal. The advisor didn’t prevent the girl from taking the class, or prohibit her from taking it – she made a suggestion. Misguided, perhaps. But a civil rights violation? I think not. The bigger issue is the prof – why is he allowed to teach such a class?

    Report Post »  
    • geonj
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 2:15pm

      @herekittykitty says”why is he allowed to teach such a class?” because of this student’s advisor and all the other enablers just like her.

      Report Post » geonj  
  • davuf
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:08pm

    And this is a perfect reason to get a non-ivy education. If you want to see a good option for a graduate school check out my link…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMcONLbCosE&feature=related

    or if you want to help out a grad student who gets points on his marketing project for clicks, that would be nice too :).

    Report Post »  
    • biohazard23
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:14pm

      Nice clip, but I just have to say one thing: Roll Tide!!! Oh yeah, and Go ‘Noles!! :)

      Seriously, though, nice job. Hope you get a good grade on your project!

      Report Post » biohazard23  
    • IowaWoman
      Posted on October 5, 2011 at 9:10am

      Great clip, looked very professional. I clicked like for ya

      Report Post » IowaWoman  
  • Constructionist
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:06pm

    Sadly, the advisor will probably get slapped with a ‘steering’ charge, even though she may have been well-intentioned in her advice. The fact that the university has a Jew-hating Muslim professor, whom students need to be steered away from, will not be questioned or mentioned in the investigation. And the wheels on the PC bus go ’round and ’round.

    Report Post » Constructionist  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 2:08pm

      That’s my question too. Why is the professor still teaching?

      Report Post »  
    • sissykatz
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 2:38pm

      Constructionist

      Very good post. As you stated the “Steering is wrong” but not as wrong as having a Professor
      that actually was so radical the students needed to be “Steered” away from. They would never
      think of getting rid of Prof.

      Report Post »  
  • Rick494
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:59pm

    Why is the job of the federal government to investigate this? How is it the federal government has the power to look at this?

    Report Post »  
    • Constructionist
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:09pm

      The federal government is involved because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal statute.

      Report Post » Constructionist  
  • TXWildfire
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:53pm

    To Sharona Schwartz,

    Are you seriously gathering information off of Wikipedia???

    Report Post » TXWildfire  
    • COFemale
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:51pm

      If the information has been cited then it is okay to use. If it is not cited, then you have to read the information with a grain of salt and assume it is opinion.

      Report Post » COFemale  
  • elosogrande
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:51pm

    Why is he there? Fire him – problem solved.

    Can’t fire him because of tenure? Fire whomever let him get to tenured status. Let him preach hate, snd then prosecute him for hate crimes. If he’s found guilty, don’t fire him – put him in jail.

    (These ideas are all a waste of time – you can bet the farm that Columbia loves him and will protect him at all costs – to the taxpayer.

    Comumbia is anti-America. Look at the people who go through there.

    Report Post »  
  • Shellback
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:50pm

    The Israli soldier should have replied “Probably as many people as you killed with car bombs and rockets.

    Report Post » Shellback  
  • W@nd@
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:46pm

    follow the money!
    Muslim money that is!
    It is apparent these learned halls
    are are selling their souls
    for the huge sums of money
    (the muslims are thowing at them)…
    Isn’t the muslim thithe not of 10% but 40%
    gives them a lot of cha-ching to work/bribe with!
    It is apparent they don’t want to draw attention to these things!
    Or certainly it has to be more out of a fear of what she would be subjected to in this course?
    Seriously, I wonder which it is?

    Report Post »  
    • DanWesson455
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:50pm

      Columbia! The inclusive, left wing, feely good institution where there are no limits or closed doors. Imagine that. Bunch of Hypocrites. I hope they all look in the mirror in the morning and hate what they see. DIP WADS!

      Report Post » DanWesson455  
  • toto
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:41pm

    The prostituting of our colleges and universities to Arab money needs to stop. Every parent sending their kids of to college should vet the schools financing and Arab leaning studies. Interesting contrast, universities with heavy jewish money are egalitarian, maybe left of center, but open to all, whereas when Arab money is heavy, the circle is ever constricting on what you are allowed to learn or think.

    Report Post »  
  • MJR
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:39pm

    Walk in eating pork sandwiches.

    Report Post »  
    • Locked
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 1:28pm

      You realize that a conservative Jew probably can’t eat pork either, right?

      Report Post »  
    • MJR
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 6:23pm

      Was not refering a jew, just a outside person or student who is not jewish.

      Report Post »  
  • cemerius
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:38pm

    Even if she got the class I am sure her “grade curve” would have been barely passing or failing altogether because of the creature called Massad and his PLO propoganda!

    Report Post » cemerius  
  • biohazard23
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:38pm

    “On another occasion, Massad demanded that a student, a former Israeli soldier, tell him how many Palestinians he had killed.”

    Just to irk the guy, the soldier hopefully responded: “Not enough.”

    Report Post » biohazard23  
  • mrsmileyface
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:36pm

    Unfortunately this is not uncommon at Columbia. But if you want to speak your mind directly to Mr Anti -semite Massad here is his email at Columbia….. jam25@columbia.edu. Or you can phone it in at 1-212-854-4722. Good hunting.

    Report Post » mrsmileyface  
  • mike_trivisonno
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:34pm

    Those who deny Jihad will be victims of Jihad.

    The muslim is counting on your attention being diverted by the “civil rights” issue. Meanwhile he continues his jihad activities right under our noses.

    Report Post » mike_trivisonno  
  • newrepublic7
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:33pm

    GOOD! The OCR needs to look at this!

    Report Post » newrepublic7  
  • truthseekerusa
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:31pm

    I am forwarded this article to friends and members of my family. Thanks to The Blaze staff for reporting incidents such as this that I can use as a “wake up” call to educate those who were indoctrinated when they attended universities such as Columbia. The truth will make them free!

    Report Post »  
  • Coonrapids
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:30pm

    This is Columbia University so what is the shock. If it hurts, injuries, defames, attacks, belittles, and demeans America, Columbia is for it.

    Report Post » Coonrapids  
    • W@nd@
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:55pm

      Coonrapids
      Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:30pm
      This is Columbia University so what is the shock. If it hurts, injuries, defames, attacks, belittles, and demeans America, Columbia is for it.
      *************************************************************
      Sadly when you see the history if this School and
      what it stood for
      it is truly a mockery of their roots!
      The 5th oldest college in the country with strong roots in the Revolution and the freedoms we sought for this land! Indeed the likes of Samuel Johnson & John Jay would would be appalled at these goings on! to be sure!

      Report Post »  
  • Rorchach
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:29pm

    It’s easy for this so-called professor to intimidate college students, I would like to have him meet someone alittle more on his level, and see how well he does at professing his dumbass views.

    Report Post » Rorchach  
  • Grace1798
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:27pm

    The majority of professors in Americas Universities are Anti-American. This is why we are NOT sending our kids to Secular Universities. No way….they’ll come back to you Communists with a detailed plan to destroy USA.

    Report Post » Grace1798  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:23pm

    I predict nothing will happen, again.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • banjarmon
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:22pm

    Massad was granted tenure…HOW????
    FIRE HIM NOW!!!!

    Report Post » banjarmon  
  • CatB
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:15pm

    This is the type of person who are teaching the youth in OUR country. They should be thrown out of acadamia … small minded radicals all.

    Report Post »  
  • hi
    Posted on October 4, 2011 at 12:09pm

    A bunch of Jewish girls should sign up and wear their bikinis to class. JK

    Report Post » hi  
1 2

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love