Post #7
Reading Between the Lines: Columbia’s July 22, 2025 University Statement on UJB Determinations for Butler Library Disruption and Alumni Weekend Encampment by The Specter Editorial Staff
From the Office of Equitable Expulsions: A Statement on the Efficient Removal of Student Conscience
July 23, 2025
Issued in collaboration with the Office of Rules Administration, the Office of the Provost, and the Subcommittee on Reading Period Respectful Silence
Over the past ten weeks, Columbia University has undertaken the solemn work of investigating a troubling episode that occurred on May 7, 2025, when students committed the serious offense of reminding us that Palestinians exist.
During reading period, members of Columbia University Apartheid Divest occupied a room in Butler Library — disrupting not only quiet study, but also the fragile illusion that our institution operates above geopolitical consequence. The students renamed the space in honor of a Palestinian activist killed by Israeli forces. Columbia, in turn, renamed it a Rules Violation.
Thanks to the efficient new disciplinary process — now relocated safely out of the hands of the University Senate and into the Office of the Provost (following thoughtful input from the Trump administration) — we are pleased to report that justice has been rapidly and equitably enforced.
Sanctions include:
Expulsion for daring to protest apartheid visibly
Multi-year suspension for interrupting the sacred silence of Butler Library with moral clarity
Degree revocation for not removing your keffiyeh fast enough
Probation for politely identifying yourself to Public Safety while being kettled
In total, more than 70 students were punished. Most will be suspended for 2–3 years. Some are expelled outright. One had their degree retroactively revoked — Columbia's way of saying, You may have earned it, but you no longer deserve it.
This robust disciplinary action comes at a critical moment, as Columbia negotiates for the return of over $400 million in federal research funding, withheld due to accusations of insufficient policing of campus speech. Our compliance — rebranded as governance reform — demonstrates that we are committed to prioritizing funding pipelines over free expression, and institutional reputation over historical accountability.
We reaffirm that our academic mission remains unshaken: we will foster rigorous inquiry, so long as it does not question U.S. foreign policy, the Board of Trustees’ political affiliations, or the location of a tent.
Let this be a clear message to students: your freedom of thought is welcome, provided it is inaudible, invisible, and uncontroversial. Should you feel compelled to advocate for the rights of occupied peoples, we ask that you kindly do so via properly routed Google Forms and not by rearranging the furniture in Butler Library.
In solidarity with structural neutrality,
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Columbia Sanctions Management System.
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