Columbia suspends Professor Shai Davidai for alleged ‘harassment’ of staff during protests, while Davidai claims the school is ‘silencing’ his pro-Israel stance
Citing allegations of harassment against fellow faculty members, Columbia University temporarily suspended business Professor Shai Davidai.
University spokesperson Millie Wert wrote in a statement Tuesday that Davidai (pictured) “repeatedly harassed and intimidated University employees in violation of University policy,” according to The Columbia Spectator.
“Columbia has consistently and continually respected Assistant Professor Davidai’s right to free speech and to express his views. His freedom of speech has not been limited and is not being limited now,” Wert stated.
In a letter to Davidai’s lawyer, the school said the assistant professor is temporarily banned from school grounds because he violated school policy by harassing five faculty members, according to The New York Post.
The harassment allegedly occurred in a video posted on X, in which Davidai tells Assistant Director of Public Safety Bobby Lau that he is “a useless administrator.”
“But you know what, there were so many useless administrators in Nazi Germany, and you know what? After the war, they said they did everything they could,” Davidai said.
He also criticized Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway as “indifferent” in another video.
“You are the chief operating officer of Columbia. Do you realize that?” Davidai said.
“You have to do your job. And I will not let you rest if they won’t let us rest. You have Israeli students crying,” he said.
The videos were taken during the Apartheid Divest’s walkout on campus Oct. 7.
Wert said while Davidai cannot enter campus, his status as a faculty member will not be affected, according to the Spectator.
His suspension will end when he “undertakes appropriate training on our policies governing the behavior of our employees,” Wert said.
Davidai told the Spectator the school is trying to “silence” Jews, and he will only “complete the training if Cas Holloway completes it with [him].”
“The only person that got suspended from campus is the Jewish professor speaking up against the protests,” Davidai said.
“Think about all the professors, everything that they’ve done. You know, people that have said and posted horrible things, and yet I’m the only one suspended,” he said.
Davidai posted a video on Instagram Tuesday questioning the school’s decision, according to the Spectator. However, it appears that the video has since been taken down.
The assistant professor said, “the University has decided to not allow me to be on campus anymore. My job. Why? Because of Oct. 7.”
“Because I was not afraid to stand up to the hateful mob. And because I was not afraid to expose Mr. fucking Cas Holloway,” he said.
MORE: Columbia president says ‘sorry’ for police at encampments
IMAGE: Andrea Falche Dominicci/X
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