By Isabella Torregiani
4:39pm PDT, Jul 2, 2025
_
The House Education Committee is investigating Columbia University after leaked text messages surfaced between top higher education officials. Rep.
Tim Walberg and Rep.
Elise Stefanik are calling on Columbia University President
Claire Shipman to answer for her role in the messages, accusing her of dismissing growing concerns about antisemitism on campus.
Keep reading for more on their letter…MORE:
Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news
_
In a WhatsApp message dated October 30, 2023, Claire Shipman, then a Columbia trustee, wrote to the former president Minouche Shafik, "People are really frustrated and scared about antisemitism on our campus and they feel somehow betrayed by it. Which is not necessarily a rational feeling but it's deep and it is quite threatening." Shipman reportedly suggested forming a task force to help "take the pressure" off Shafik, who resigned the following year.
_
In a letter sent to the university on Tuesday, July 1, the committee demanded a formal response from Claire Shipman regarding her comments. The memo called her remarks "perplexing" in light of the "violence and harassment against Jewish and Israeli students already occurring on Columbia's campus at the time." It also cited a second message dated January 17, 2024, in which Shipman urged the board to "quickly" appoint someone of Middle Eastern or Arabic descent. The committee says such a move could violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, writing, "Were Columbia to act on this suggestion and appoint someone to the board specifically because of their national origin, it would implicate Title VI concerns."
_
A Columbia spokesperson told The Post that the text messages in question had already been submitted to the committee last fall and are now being taken "out of context." They claimed that the messages reflect a "particularly difficult moment" for university leaders who were focused on diffusing tensions on the Ivy League campus. "Columbia is deeply committed to combating antisemitism and working with the federal government on this very serious issue, including our ongoing discussions to reach an agreement with the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism," the spokesperson said.
_
The latest probe into the Ivy League school comes nearly a year after mass protests forced Columbia to temporarily lock down its campus. In response, President Donald Trump's administration reportedly withdrew $400 million in federal grants from the school, citing the university's failure to address antisemitic incidents. Claire Shipman officially took over as Columbia's president in March and agreed to several demands including a mask ban and authorizing police to arrest students if deemed necessary.
