Pro-Palestinian Students Sue Columbia University Over Alleged Failure to Protect Against Harassment

Mahmoud Khalil and other pro-Palestinian student activists filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Columbia University on Monday. The plaintiffs, which include the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) Palestine Working Group and its president Mohammad Zubairi, accuse the university of deliberate indifference toward years of pervasive harassment, threats, and doxxing targeting students based on their advocacy for Palestinian rights or their perceived Arab and Muslim ancestry. Khalil, a US green card holder and former graduate student, alleges that the university's failure to protect students created conditions that led to his arrest by federal immigration agents in March 2025. Khalil spent 104 days in a Louisiana jail, during which time he missed the birth of his first child. He continues to fight deportation efforts that may reach the US Supreme Court.

The lawsuit claims that Columbia treated pro-Palestinian protests as security risks and revised policies to discipline on-campus criticism of the Israeli government or military. Khalil stated that the university exhibited institutionalized anti-Palestinian bigotry backed by its board of trustees. This is not the first legal action involving Khalil; he previously sued the university for releasing student disciplinary records to a House committee and has filed claims against the Trump administration and pro-Israel groups for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

Columbia University declined to comment on the specific lawsuit. A university spokesperson stated that creating a campus environment where every member feels welcome, supported, and safe is a fundamental responsibility that the school takes seriously. The legal battle follows a period of intense campus unrest, including the establishment of pro-Palestinian encampments and the resignation of the university president.

Outlets with a center-right lean framed the event as a legal dispute over the university's attempt to balance safety concerns with campus openness. Outlets with a left lean emphasized the systemic nature of the harassment and the personal toll of Khalil's detention. Center and center-left outlets focused on the specific allegations of discrimination and the university's alleged failure to protect its students from outside targeting.