Servet Gunerigok
17 January 2025•Update: 17 January 2025
WASHINGTON
Fifty law faculty at New York’s Columbia University have signed a letter demanding an investigation from the school into the treatment of Professor Katherine Franke over her stance in support of pro-Palestinian campus protests.
In the letter, the former and current law professors recalled that Franke was terminated after remarks she made in a media interview was found to have violated the university's nondiscrimination policies.
"Franke contends that the proceedings were biased against her by then-President (Minouche) Shafik's condemnation of the remarks during an April 2024 congressional hearing and that she has been singled out for special punishment and other mistreatment on account of her support for pro-Palestinian protesters," they said.
The professors noted that they hold a wide range of views on the recent protests, the university's response and the underlying conflict in the Middle East, adding that they have no common position on the finding that Franke's remarks violated the university's policies.
"Regardless of one's views on Franke's stances or statements, we believe that all members of the Columbia community have an interest in ensuring that the University is treating employees fairly, upholding its core intellectual commitments, and creating an environment that fosters legitimate debate on issues of public concern," said the letter.
In a statement released Jan. 10, Franke said she has reached an "agreement with Columbia University that relieves me of my obligations to teach or participate in faculty governance after serving on the Columbia law faculty for 25 years.
"I have come to the view that the Columbia University administration has created such a toxic and hostile environment for legitimate debate around the war in Israel and Palestine that I can no longer teach or conduct research," she wrote.
